Exodus 18
1 Jethro, who was the priest for the Midian people-group, and who was also Moses’/my father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for the Israeli people. He heard about how Yahweh had brought them out of Egypt.
Pathen loh Moses ham neh a pilnam Israel ham a cungkuem a saii pah tih BOEIPA loh Israel Egypt lamkah a khuen te Moses masae, Midian khosoih Jethro loh a yaak.
2 Moses/I had [previously] sent his/my wife Zipporah [back home when he/I was returning to Egypt]. But now Jethro came to him/me,
A maan hnukah Moses yuu Zipporah loh Moses masae Jethro te a doe.
3 bringing Zipporah and their/our two sons. One son was named Gershom, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘foreigner’], because he/I had said, “I have been a foreigner living in another land.”
Te vaengah a ca rhoi te a khuen tih, kholong kho ah yinlai la ka om a ti dongah pakhat te a ming Gershom a sui.
4 Her other son was named Eliezer, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘God helps me’], because [he/I] had said “God, whom my father [worshiped], has helped me and saved [me] from being killed [MTY] by the king [of Egypt].”
Pakhat te tah a pa Pathen he kai bomkung la om tih Pharaoh cunghang lamloh kai n'huul a ti tih a ming Eliezer a sui.
5 While Moses/I was camped [with the Israeli people] in the desert [near Sinai], God’s sacred/holy mountain, Jethro came to him/me, bringing along Moses’/my wife and our [two] sons.
Te phoeiah Moses yuu, ca rhoek te a masae Jethro neh Pathen kah tlang khosoek ah aka rhaeh Moses taengla ha pawk.
6 Jethro had sent a message to Moses/me, “I, your father-in-law, Jethro, am coming to see you, bringing along your wife and your two sons!”
Te dongah Moses te, “Na masae kai Jethro he nang taengla na yuu neh a taengkah a ca rhoi khaw, kam pawk puei coeng,” a ti nah.
7 So Moses/I went out of the campsite to meet his/my father-in-law. He/I bowed before him, and kissed him [on the cheek]. (They both/We) asked each other, “Have you been healthy?” Then they/we went into [Moses’/my] tent.
Moses te a masae doe ham cet tih bakop tih a mok. Te vaengah hlang te a hui neh sadingnah khaw a dawt uh rhoi phoeiah dap khuila kun uh.
8 Moses/I told Jethro everything that Yahweh had done to the king and all the [other] people in Egypt for the sake of the Israeli people. He/I also told him about the troubles/problems they/we had experienced on the way, and how Yahweh had helped them/us.
Te phoeiah Israel kongmai dongah BOEIPA loh Pharaoh taeng neh Egypt taengah a saii boeih, longpueng ah amih aka mah bongboepnah cungkuem neh BOEIPA loh amih a huul te khaw Moses loh a masae taengah a thui pah.
9 Jethro rejoiced when he heard all that Yahweh had done for the Israeli people.
Egypt kut lamloh a huul vaengah BOEIPA loh Israel ham a then boeih a saii pah dongah Jethro a kohoe.
10 He said, “Praise Yahweh, who has rescued you from the powerful [MTY] Egyptian king and his army!
Te phoeiah Jethro loh, “Egypt kut lamkah neh Pharaoh kut lamloh nangmih aka huul tih Egypt kut hmui lamloh pilnam aka huul BOEIPA tah a yoethen pai saeh.
11 Now I realize that Yahweh is greater than all other gods, because he rescued you all from the power [MTY] of the proud Egyptians when [they] were causing you [to suffer].”
Amih taengah ol a lokhak pah coeng dongah pathen boeih lakah BOEIPA he tanglue tila ka ming coeng,” a ti.
12 Then Jethro sacrificed an animal by burning it completely on the altar [as an offering], and he also offered other sacrifices to God. Aaron and the Israeli elders/leaders went with them/us to eat a sacred meal with Jethro.
Te phoeiah Moses masae Jethro loh hmueihhlutnah neh hmueih te Pathen taengah a khuen. Te vaengah Aaron neh Israel kah a hamca boeih tah Pathen mikhmuh ah Moses masae neh buh ca la ha pawk.
13 The next day, Moses/I sat down at the place where he/I settled disputes among the people. The people were continually bringing their disputes to Moses/me, from morning until evening.
A vuen ah pilnam te laitloek ham Moses ngol tih pilnam te Moses taengah mincang lamloh kholaeh hil pai uh.
14 When Jethro saw everything that Moses/I was doing for the people, he said, “(Why are you doing all this for the people?/You should not be doing all this for the people!) [RHQ] Why are you doing this by yourself, and all the people are crowding around you, from morning until evening, [asking you to make decisions for them] [RHQ]?”
Pilnam ham a saii boeih te Moses masae loh a hmuh tih, “Pilnam ham na saii hno he mebang lae? Nang namah bueng na ngol vaengah pilnam pum he balae tih na taengah mincang lamloh kholaeh hil a pai,” a ti nah.
15 Moses/I replied, “[I am doing this] because the people keep coming to me to find out what God desires.
Te vaengah Moses loh a masae te, “Pathen dawtlet ham ni pilnam loh kai taengla ha pawk.
16 When they have a dispute about something, they come to me, and they ask me to decide which of them is right. I also tell them all of God’s laws and instructions.”
Amih taengah te olka a om vaengah kai taengah ha pawk. Te vaengah hlang pakhat neh a hui laklo ah lai ka tloek tih Pathen kah oltlueh neh a olkhueng te ka ming sak,” a ti nah.
17 Jethro said to him/me, “What you are doing is not good [for you or for the people].
Te vaengah a masae loh Moses te, “Hno na saii te then pawh.
18 You and these people will (wear yourselves out/become exhausted)! This work is too much for one person. You are not able to do it by yourself.
Namah neh na taengkah pilnam he khaw na tawn la na tawn uh coeng. Namah ham rhih aih tih dumlai khaw namah bueng loh na rhoe thai moenih.
19 Now listen to some good advice [MTY] I will give to you. [If you do what I suggest], God will help you. You should continue to speak to God and tell him about the people’s disputes.
Ka ol he ngai laeh, nang kang uen lah eh. Pathen he nang taengah om saeh. Namah te Pathen hmai ah pilnam yueng om lamtah olka te namah loh Pathen taengla khuen saw.
20 You should [also] teach the people what God has commanded and instructed you. You should also explain to them how they should conduct their lives, and the things that they should do.
Te vaengah amih te oltlueh neh olkhueng khaw thuituen lamtah a pongpa ham longpuei neh a saii ham bibi te amih tueng saw.
21 But in addition, you should choose some [other men to help you]. Choose men who have reverence for God and who will not accept bribes. Appoint some of them to make decisions [for groups of] ten people, [some for groups of] 50 [people], [some for groups of] 100 [people], [and some for groups of] 1,000 [people].
Te phoeiah namah loh pilnam pum khui lamloh Pathen aka rhih tatthai hlang, mueluemnah aka thiinah oltak kah hlang rhoek te so. Amih te thawng khat kah mangpa, yakhat kah mangpa, sawmnga kah mangpa neh parha kah mangpa la khueh.
22 Allow them to serve permanently to settle disputes for the people. The difficult matters the people can bring to you; but the matters that are not difficult, they can decide themselves. That will make the work easier for you, as they help you do that work.
A tue boeih dongah pilnam te laitloek pah saeh. Dumlai aka om boeih khaw a puei mah nang taengla ham pawk puei saeh. Olka a phoeng boeih tah amih loh laitloek pah saeh. Te vaengah nang ham yanghoep saeh lamtah nang te n'yingyawn uh saeh.
23 If you do that, and [I think that] God is telling you to do it (OR, if God tells you to do it), you will not become exhausted, and all the people will be able to go home feeling satisfied about the decisions, [with their disputes settled quickly”].
Ol he na ngai daengah ni Pathen loh nang uen bangla na pai thai vetih pilnam boeih he khaw a hmuen te ngaimong la a paan eh?,” a ti nah.
24 Moses/I accepted what his/my father-in-law [Jethro] suggested.
Moses loh a masae ol te a hnatun tih a thui te boeih a saii.
25 Moses/I chose capable men from among the Israeli people.
Te dongah Moses loh Israel boeih khuiah hlang tatthai rhoek te a coelh tih amih te pilnam soah a lu, thawngkhat kah mangpa, yakhat kah mangpa, sawmnga mangpa neh parha kah mangpa te a paek.
26 They were appointed permanently to make decisions about the people’s disputes. They brought the difficult cases to Moses/me, but they decided the matters that were not difficult by themselves.
A tue boeih ah pilnam te a lai a tloek uh tih dumlai aka kuel te Moses taengla a khuen uh. Ol phoeng boeih tah amih loh lai a tloek uh.
27 Then Moses/I said goodbye to his/my father-in-law, and Jethro returned home.
Te phoeiah Moses loh a masae te a phih tih anih te amah kho la voei.
