2 Mosebog 18

1 Da Jetro, Præsten i Midjan, Moses's Svigerfader, hørte om alt, hvad Gud havde gjort for Moses og hans Folk Israel, hvorledes HERREN havde ført Israel ud af Ægypten,

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

2 tog Jetro, Moses's Svigerfader, Zippora, Moses's Hustru, som han havde sendt hjem,

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,

3 tillige med hendes to Sønner. Af dem hed den ene Gersom; "thi", havde han sagt, "jeg er blevet Gæst i et fremmed Land";

and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”.

4 og den anden hed Eliezer; "thi", havde han sagt, "min Faders Gud har været min Hjælp og frelst mig fra Faraos Sværd!"

The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”

5 Og Jetro, Moses's Svigerfader, kom med hans Sønner og Hustru til Moses i Ørkenen, hvor han havde slået Lejr ved Guds Bjerg,

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God.

6 og han lod Moses melde: "Jetro, din Svigerfader, kommer til dig med din Hustru og hendes to Sønner!"

He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”

7 Da gik Moses sin Svigerfader i Møde, bøjede sig for ham og kyssede ham; og da de havde hilst på hinanden, gik de ind i Teltet.

Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.

8 Moses fortalte sin Svigerfader om alt, hvad HERREN havde gjort ved Farao og Ægypten for Israels Skyld, og om alle de Besværligheder, der havde mødt dem undervejs, og hvorledes HERREN havde frelst dem.

Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how the LORD delivered them.

9 Da glædede Jetro sig over alt det gode, HERREN havde gjort mod Israel, idet han havde frelst dem af Ægypternes Hånd.

Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10 Og Jetro sagde: "Lovet være HERREN, som har frelst eder af Ægypternes og Faraos. Hånd!"

Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

11 Nu ved jeg, at HERREN er større end alle Guder, thi netop ved det, de i deres Overmod foretog sig imod dem, frelste han Folket af Ægypternes Hånd.

Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”

12 Derpå udtog Jetro, Moses's Svigerfader, Brændofre og Slagtofre til Gud; og Aron og alle Israels Ældste kom for at holde Måltid for Guds Åsyn med Moses's Svigerfader.

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

13 Næste Morgen tog Moses Sæde for at holde Ret for Folket, og Folket stod omkring Moses fra Morgen til Aften.

On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.

14 Men da Moses's Svigerfader så alt det Arbejde, han havde med Folket, sagde han: "Hvad er dog det for et Arbejde, du har med Folket? Hvorfor sidder du alene til Doms, medens alt Folket står omkring dig fra Morgen til Aften?"

When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, “What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?”

15 Moses svarede sin Svigerfader: "Jo, Folket kommer til mig for at rådspørge Gud;

Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

16 når de har en Retssag, kommer de til mig, og jeg dømmer Parterne imellem og kundgør dem Guds Anordninger og Love."

When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.”

17 Da sagde Moses's Svigerfader til ham: "Det er ikke klogt, som du bærer dig ad med det.

Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.

18 På den Måde bliver jo både du selv og Folket der omkring dig ganske udmattet, thi det Arbejde er dig for anstrengende, du kan ikke overkomme det alene.

You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone.

19 Læg dig nu på Sinde, hvad jeg siger; jeg vil give dig et Råd, og Gud skal være med dig: Du skal. selv træde frem for Gud på Folkets Vegne og forelægge Gud de forefaldende Sager;

Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God.

20 og du skal indskærpe dem Anordningerne og Lovene og lære dem den Vej, de skal vandre, og hvad de har at gøre.

You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21 Men du skal af hele Folket udvælge dig dygtige Mænd, som frygter Gud, Mænd, som er til at lide på og hader uretfærdig Vinding, og dem skal du sætte over dem som Forstandere, nogle over tusinde, andre over hundrede, andre over halvtredsindstyve, andre over ti;

Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

22 lad dem til Stadighed holde Ret for Folket. Alle vigtigere Sager skal de forebringe dig, men alle mindre Sager skal de selv afgøre. Let dig således Arbejdet og lad dem komme til at bære Byrden med dig.

Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you.

23 Dersom du handler således og Gud vil det så, kan du holde ud, og alt Folket der kan gå tilfreds hjem."

If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”

24 Moses fulgte sin Svigerfaders Råd og gjorde alt, hvad han foreslog.

So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.

25 Og Mose's udvalgte dygtige Mænd af hele Israel og gjorde dem til Øverster over Folket, til Forstandere, nogle over tusinde, andre over hundrede, andre over halvtredsindstyve, andre over ti.

Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

26 De holdt derpå til Stadighed Ret for Folket; de vanskelige Sager forebragte de Moses, men alle mindre Sager afgjorde de selv.

They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

27 Derpå tog Moses Afsked med sin Svigerfader, og denne begav sig til sit Land.

Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.