| 1 Ora, tendo ouvido Jetro, sacerdote de Madian, sogro de Moisés, tudo o que Deus tinha feito a Moisés e a Israel, seu povo, tirando-o do Egipto, | 1 And when Jethro, the priest of Midian, the kinsman of Moses, had heard all that God had done for Moses, and for his people Israel, and that the Lord had led Israel away from Egypt, |
| 2 tomou Séfora, mulher de Moisés, a qual ele lhe tinha deixado, | 2 he brought Zipporah, the wife of Moses, whom he was to return to him, |
| 3 e os dois filhos dela, um dos quais se chamava Gersão, por seu pai ter dito: "Eu fui peregrino numa terra estrangeira", | 3 and her two sons, of whom one was called Gershom, (for his father said, “I have been a newcomer in a foreign land,”) |
| 4 e o outro (se chamava) Elieser, por seu pai ter dito: "O Deus de meu pai foi o meu defensor, e me salvou da espada de Faraó". | 4 and the other in truth was Eliezer, (“For the God of my father,” he said, “is my helper, and has rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”) |
| 5 Foi, pois, Jetro, sogro de Moisés, com seus filhos e sua mulher, ter com Moisés ao deserto, onde ele estava acampado junto ao monte de Deus, | 5 And so Jethro, the kinsman of Moses, with his sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert, where he was encamped next to the mountain of God. |
| 6 e mandou dizer a Moisés: Eu, Jetro, teu sogro, venho ter contigo com tua mulher e os teus dois filhos com ela. | 6 And he sent word to Moses, saying: “I, Jethro, your kinsman, have come to you, with your wife, and your two sons with her.” |
| 7 Moisés, saindo ao encontro de seu sogro, prostrou-se (diante dele) e o beijou, e saudaram-se mutuamente com palavras amigas. Tendo entrado na tenda, | 7 And going out to meet his kinsman, he reverenced and kissed him. And they saluted each other with peaceful words. And when he had arrived at the tent, |
| 8 Moisés contou a seu sogro tudo o que o Senhor tinha feito contra Faraó e os Egípcios, por causa de Israel, todo o trabalho que lhe sobreviera no caminho, e como o Senhor os tinha livrado. | 8 Moses explained to his kinsman all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on behalf of Israel, and all the hardships which had befallen them on the journey, and how the Lord had freed them. |
| 9 Jetro alegrou-se por todos os bens que o Senhor tinha feito a Israel, e porque o tinha livrado da mão dos Egipcios, | 9 And Jethro was gladdened over all the good that the Lord had done for Israel, because he had rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians. |
| 10 e disse: Bendito (seja) o Senhor, que vos livrou da mão dos Egípcios e da mão de Faraó, e que livrou o seu povo da mão dos Egípcios. | 10 And he said: “Blessed is the Lord, who has freed his people from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh; he has rescued his people from the hand of Egypt. |
| 11 Agora conheci que o Senhor é grande sobre todos os deuses, porque se mostrou grande quando os Egípcios oprimiam Israel. | 11 Now I know that the great Lord is above all gods. This is why they acted arrogantly against them.” |
| 12 Jetro, sogro de Moisés, ofereceu a Deus holocaustos e hóstias, e Aarão e todos os anciães de Israel vieram comer com ele diante do Senhor. | 12 And so Jethro, the kinsman of Moses, offered holocausts and sacrifices to God. And Aaron arrived with all the elders of Israel, in order to eat bread with him in the sight of God. |
| 13 No dia seguinte, Moisés assentou-se para julgar o povo que esteve diante dele desde manhã até à tarde. | 13 Then, the next day, Moses sat down in order to judge the people, and they stood beside Moses from morning, even until evening. |
| 14 Seu sogro, tendo visto tudo o que ele fazia com o povo disse: Que é isto que fazes com o povo? Por que te sentas só tu (no tribunal), e todo o povo está esperando desde manhã até à tarde? | 14 And when, of course, his kinsman saw all that he did among the people, he said: “What is this that you do among the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand before you, from morning, even until evening?” |
| 15 Moisés respondeu-lhe: O povo vem a mim para ouvir a sentença de Deus, | 15 And Moses answered him: “The people come to me seeking the verdict of God. |
| 16 Quando entre eles nasce alguma contenda, vêm ter comigo, para que eu julgue entre eles, e lhes mostre os preceitos de Deus e as suas leis. | 16 And when any kind of dispute occurs among them, they come to me to judge between them, and to reveal the precepts of God and of his laws.” |
| 17 Mas Jetro disse: Não fazes bem. | 17 But he said, “This is not good, what you are doing. |
| 18 Consomes-te com um trabalho vão, a ti e a este povo que está contigo: este trabalho é sobre as tuas forças, e tu só não o poderás aturar. | 18 You will be consumed by foolish efforts, both you and this people who are with you. The task is beyond your strength; you will not be able bear it alone. |
| 19 Ouve as minhas palavras e conselhos, e Deus será contigo. Sê mediador do povo naquelas coisas que dizem respeito a Deus, para lhe expores os pedidos que lhe são dirigidos, | 19 But listen to my words and counsels, and then God will be with you. Be available to the people in that which pertains to God, so as to refer what they say to him, |
| 20 e para ensinares ao povo as cerimônias e o modo de honrar a Deus, o caminho por onde devem andar e as obras que devem fazer. | 20 and to reveal to the people the ceremonies, and the rituals of worship, and the way by which they should progress, and the work that they should do. |
| 21 Mas escolhe entre todo o povo homens capazes e tementes a Deus, nos quais haja verdade e que aborreçam a avareza: faz deles chefes de mil, de cem, de cinquenta e de dez homens, | 21 Then provide, from all of the people, men capable and fearing God, in whom there is truth and who hate avarice, and appoint from them tribunes, and leaders of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens, |
| 22 os quais julguem o povo em todo o tempo, te dêem conta coisas mais graves, e eles julguem sòmente as coisas menos graves. Desta sorte o peso que te oprime será mais leve, sendo repartido com outros. | 22 who may judge the people at all times. Then, when anything greater will have occurred, they may refer it to you, and let them judge the lesser matters only. And so it may be lighter for you, the burden being divided among others. |
| 23 Se fizeres isto, cumprirás a ordem de Deus e poderás executar os seus preceitos: e todo este povo voltará em paz para as suas moradas. | 23 If you will do this, you will fulfill the orders of God, and you will be able to uphold his precepts. And this entire people will return to their places in peace.” |
| 24 Moisés, tendo ouvido isto, fez tudo o que seu sogro lhe sugerira. | 24 Having heard this, Moses did everything that he had suggested to him. |
| 25 Tendo escolhido entre todo o povo de Israel homens de valor, constituiu chefes de mil, de cem, de cinqüenta e de dez homens. | 25 And choosing virtuous men from all of Israel, he appointed them as leaders of the people: tribunes, and leaders of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens. |
| 26 Eles faziam justiça ao povo em todo o tempo, e davam conta a Moisés de todas as coisas mais graves, julgando eles sòmente as mais fáceis. | 26 And they judged the people at all times. But whatever was more serious, they referred to him, and they judged easier matters only. |
| 27 Moisés despediu-se de seu sogro, o qual voltou para o seu país. | 27 And he dismissed his kinsman, who, turning back, went to his own land. |
