Exodus 18
1 And when Jethro the priest of Madian, the kinsman of Moses, had heard all the things that God had done to Moses, and to Israel his people, and that the Lord had brought forth Israel out of Egypt,
Pea ʻi he fanongo ʻa Setelo, ko e taulaʻeiki ʻo Mitiane, ko e tamai ʻi he fono kia Mōsese, ki he meʻa kotoa pē kuo fai ʻe he ʻOtua maʻa Mōsese, pea ki hono kakai ko ʻIsileli, pea mo e ʻomi ʻe Sihova ʻa ʻIsileli mei ʻIsipite;
2 He took Sephora the wife of Moses whom he had sent back:
Pea toʻo ʻe Setelo, ko e tamai ʻi he fono kia Mōsese, ʻa Sipola ko e mali ʻo Mōsese, hili ʻene fekau ke ʻalu ia;
3 And her two sons, of whom one was called Gersam, his father saying: I have been a stranger in a foreign country.
Mo ʻene ongo tama: ko e tokotaha ʻi ai naʻe hingoa ko Kesomi; he naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “Naʻaku nofo ko e muli ʻi he fonua kehe:
4 And the other Eliezer: For the God of my father, said he, is my helper, and hath delivered me from the sword of Pharao.
Pea ko hono hingoa ʻoe tokotaha ko ʻEliesa; he naʻe pehē ʻe ia, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻeku tamai, ko hoku tokoni, pea naʻa ne fakamoʻui au mei he heletā ʻa Felo:”
5 And Jethro the kinsman of Moses came with his sons and his wife, to Moses into the desert, where he was camped by the mountain of God.
Pea naʻe haʻu ʻa Setelo, ko e tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese, mo hono ongo foha, mo hono mali kia Mōsese ʻi he toafa, ʻaia naʻa ne ʻapitanga ai ʻi he moʻunga ʻoe ʻOtua:
6 And he sent word to Moses, saying: I Jethro thy kinsman come to thee, and thy wife, and thy two sons with her.
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia kia Mōsese, “Ko au Setelo ko hoʻo tamai ʻi he fono, kuo u haʻu kiate koe, mo ho mali, mo ʻene ongo tama mo ia.”
7 And he went out to meet his kinsman, and worshipped and kissed him: and they saluted one another with words of peace. And when he was come into the tent,
Pea naʻe ʻalu kituaʻā ʻa Mōsese ke fakafetaulaki ki heʻene tamai ʻi he fono, ʻo ne fakaʻapaʻapa ki ai, mo ʻuma kiate ia pea fefehuʻiʻaki ʻakinaua ki heʻena lelei pea naʻa nau haʻu ki he fale fehikitaki.
8 Moses told his kinsman all that the Lord had done to Pharao, and the Egyptians, in favour of Israel: and all the labour which had befallen them in the journey, and that the Lord had delivered them.
Pea naʻe fakahā ʻe Mōsese ki heʻene tamai ʻi he fono, ʻaia kotoa pē kuo fai ʻe Sihova kia Felo, pea ki he kakai ʻIsipite koeʻuhi ko ʻIsileli, pea mo e mamahi kotoa pē kuo tō kiate kinautolu ʻi he hala, pea mo e fakamoʻui ʻakinautolu ʻe Sihova.
9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good things that the Lord had done to Israel, because he had delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians.
Pea naʻe fiefia ʻa Setelo ʻi he ngaahi angalelei kotoa pē ʻaia kuo fai ʻe Sihova ki ʻIsileli, ʻaia naʻa ne fakamoʻui mei he nima ʻoe kakai ʻIsipite.
10 And he said: Blessed is the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of Pharao, and out of the hand of the Egyptians, who hath delivered his people out of the hand of Egypt.
Pea pehē ʻe Setelo, “Fakafetaʻi kia Sihova, ʻaia kuo ne fakahaofi ʻakimoutolu mei he nima ʻoe kakai ʻIsipite, pea mei he nima ʻo Felo, pea kuo ne fakahaofi ʻae kakai mei he nima ʻoe kakai ʻIsipite.
11 Now I know that the Lord is great above all gods: because they dealt proudly against them.
Pea ko eni, ʻoku ou ʻilo ai ʻoku lahi ʻa Sihova ʻi he ngaahi ʻotua kotoa pē: koeʻuhi ʻi he meʻa ko ia naʻa nau fai fakafiefielahi ai, naʻe māʻolunga lahi ia ʻiate kinautolu.”
12 So Jethro the kinsman of Moses offered holocausts and sacrifices to God: and Aaron and all the ancients of Israel came, to eat bread with them before God.
Pea naʻe toʻo ʻe Setelo ko e tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese, ʻae feilaulau tutu mo e ngaahi feilaulau ki he ʻOtua: pea naʻe haʻu ʻa ʻElone mo e kau mātuʻa kotoa pē ʻo ʻIsileli, ke nau kai mā mo e tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese, ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua.
13 And the next day Moses sat, to judge the people, who stood by Moses from morning until night.
Pea pongipongi ai pea pehē, naʻe nofo ʻa Mōsese ke fakamaauʻi ʻae kakai: pea naʻe tuʻu ʻae kakai ʻo ofi kia Mōsese mei he pongipongi ʻo aʻu ki he efiafi.
14 And when his kinsman had seen all things that he did among the people, he said: What is it that thou dost among the people? Why sittest thou alone, and all the people wait from morning till night.
Pea kuo mamata ʻae tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese ki he meʻa kotoa pē naʻa ne fai ki he kakai, naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “Ko e hā ʻae meʻa ni ʻoku ke fai ki he kakai ni? Ko e hā ʻoku ke nofo tokotaha ai pe, pea tuʻu ʻae kakai kotoa pē ʻo ofi kiate koe mei he pongipongi ki he efiafi?”
15 And Moses answered him: The people come to me to seek the judgment of God.
Pea pehē ʻe Mōsese ki heʻene tamai ʻi he fono, “Koeʻuhi ʻoku haʻu ʻae kakai ke fehuʻi kiate au ki he ʻOtua;
16 And when any controversy falleth out among them, they come to me to judge between them, and to shew the precepts of God, and his laws.
ʻOka ai haʻanau meʻa, ʻoku nau haʻu kiate au; peau fakamaau ki he tangata mo e tangata, pea u fakahā kiate kinautolu ʻae ngaahi fekau ʻae ʻOtua, mo ʻene ngaahi fono.”
17 But he said: The thing thou dost is not good.
Pea naʻe lea ʻae tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese kiate ia, ʻo pehē, “Ko e meʻa ni ʻoku ke fai ʻoku ʻikai lelei.
18 Thou are spent with foolish labour, both thou and this people that is with thee: the business is above thy strength, thou alone canst not bear it.
He te ke fakaʻaʻau ʻo ʻosi moʻoni koe, ʻa koe mo e kakai ni ʻoku ʻiate koe: he ʻoku mamafa lahi ʻaupito ʻae meʻa ni kiate koe: ʻoku ʻikai te ke mafai ia ʻe koe tokotaha pe.
19 But hear my words and counsels, and God shall be with thee. Be thou to the people in those things that pertain to God, to bring their words to him:
Ko eni, fanongo ki hoku leʻo, pea te u akonakiʻi koe, pea ʻe ʻiate koe ʻae ʻOtua: Ke ke ʻi he kakai ko e fehokotakiʻanga mo e ʻOtua, koeʻuhi ke ke ʻomi ʻae ngaahi meʻa ki he ʻOtua;
20 And to shew the people the ceremonies and the manner of worshipping, and the way wherein they ought to walk, and the work that they ought to do.
Pea te ke ekinaki ʻae ngaahi tuʻutuʻuni, mo e ngaahi fono, pea ke fakahā kiate kinautolu ʻae hala ʻoku totonu ke nau ʻalu ai, mo e ngaahi ngāue ke nau fai,
21 And provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, in whom there is truth, and that hate avarice, and appoint of them rulers of thousands, and of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens.
Pea ko eni ke ke fili mei he kakai ʻae kau tangata ʻoku mafai, ʻoku manavahē ki he ʻOtua, ko e kau tangata ʻoe moʻoni, ʻoku fehiʻa ki he manumanu; pea ke fakanofo ʻakinautolu ke nau pule ki he ngaahi toko afe, mo pule ki he ngaahi toko teau, mo pule ki he ngaahi nimangofulu, mo pule ki he ngaahi hongofulu:
22 Who may judge the people at all times: and when any great matter soever shall fall out, let them refer it to thee, and let them judge the lesser matters only: that so it may be lighter for thee, the burden being shared out unto others.
Pea tuku ke nau fakamaau ʻae kakai ʻi he ngaahi kuonga kotoa pē: pea ʻe pehē, ʻilonga ʻae meʻa lahi kotoa pē, ke nau ʻomi ia kiate koe, ka ko e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku siʻi, ke nau fakamaauʻi: ko ia ʻe hoko ʻo faingofua ai kiate koe, pea te nau fai mo koe ke fua ʻae kavenga.
23 If thou dost this, thou shalt fulfill the commandment of God, and shalt be able to bear his precepts: and all this people shall return to their places with peace.
Pea kapau te ke fai ʻae meʻa ni, pea fekau pehē ʻe he ʻOtua kiate koe, te ke toki mafai ke tolonga, ai, pea ʻe ʻalu ʻae kakai ni kotoa pē ki honau potu ʻi he fiemālie.”
24 And when Moses heard this, he did all things that he had suggested unto him.
Pea naʻe tokanga ʻa Mōsese ki he leʻo ʻo ʻene tamai ʻi he fono, ʻo ne fai ʻaia kotoa pē naʻa ne lea ki ai.
25 And choosing able men out of all Israel, he appointed them rulers of the people, rulers over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.
Pea naʻe fili ʻe Mōsese ʻae kau tangata mafai mei ʻIsileli kotoa pē, ʻo ne fakanofo ʻakinautolu ko e ʻulu ʻoe kakai, ko e kau pule ki he ngaahi toko afe, mo e kau pule ki he ngaahi toko teau, ko e kau pule ki he ngaahi toko nimangofulu, mo e kau pule ki he ngaahi hongofulu.
26 And they judged the people at all times: and whatsoever was of greater difficulty they referred to him, and they judged the easier cases only.
Pea naʻe fakamaau ʻae kakai ʻi he ngaahi faʻahitaʻu kotoa pē; naʻa nau ʻomi kia Mōsese ʻae ngaahi meʻa faingataʻa, ka ko e ngaahi meʻa siʻi naʻe fakamaau ʻekinautolu.
27 And he let his kinsman depart: and he returned and went into his own country.
Pea naʻe tuku ʻe Mōsese ʻene tamai ʻi he fono ke ne ʻalu; pea naʻe ʻalu ia ʻi hono hala ki hono fonua.
