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.
Yetro, si nye Mose to, ame si nye Midian nunɔla la, se nu tso nukunu siwo Mawu wɔ na eƒe dukɔ Israel kple Mose kple ale si Yehowa ɖe wo tso Egipte la ŋuti.
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,
Esia ta Yetro kplɔ Mose srɔ̃ Zipora yi nɛ, elabena Mose ɖo srɔ̃a ɖe fofoa gbɔ.
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.”
Ekplɔ Mose ƒe viŋutsu eveawo hã yii. Via ŋutsuvi Gersom ƒe ŋkɔ gɔmee nye, “Amedzro,” elabena esi wodzii la, Mose gblɔ be, “Menɔ tsaglalã tsam le dzronyigba dzi.”
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].”
Via ŋutsuvi evelia, Eliezer, ƒe ŋkɔ gɔmee nye, “Mawue nye nye xɔnametɔ,” elabena esi wodzii la, Mose gblɔ be, “Fofonyewo ƒe Mawue nye nye xɔnametɔ, eye wòɖem tso Farao ƒe yi nu.”
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.
Yetro, Mose to kple Mose ƒe viŋutsuwo kple srɔ̃a wova Mose gbɔ le gbegbe, afi si woƒu asaɖa anyi ɖo, le Mawu ƒe to la gbɔ.
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!”
Yetro dɔ ame ɖo ɖe Mose gbɔ be woagblɔ nɛ be, “Nye towò, Yetro kple srɔ̃wò kple viwò ŋutsu eveawo míegbɔna gbɔwò.”
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.
Mose yi ɖakpe toa, eye wòxɔe dzidzɔtɔe. Wobia wo nɔewo ƒe agbe ta, eye woyi ɖe Mose ƒe agbadɔ me hena nya aɖewo ŋu bubu.
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.
Mose gblɔ nu siwo katã dzɔ kple nu siwo Yehowa wɔ Farao kple Egiptetɔwo, ale be yeate ŋu aɖe Israelviwo, nukpekeame siwo nɔ mɔ me na Israelviwo kple ale si Yehowa ɖe wo tso wo katã me la na toa.
9 Jethro rejoiced when he heard all that Yahweh had done for the Israeli people.
Yetro kpɔ dzidzɔ ŋutɔ le nu sia nu si Yehowa wɔ na Israelviwo kple ale si wòkplɔ wo dzoe le Egipte la ŋuti.
10 He said, “Praise Yahweh, who has rescued you from the powerful [MTY] Egyptian king and his army!
Yetro si nye Mose to la gblɔ be, “Mikafu Yehowa, elabena eɖe mi tso Egiptetɔwo kple Farao ƒe asi me, eye wòɖe Israel.
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].”
Menya azɔ be Yehowa tri akɔ wu mawu bubu ɖe sia ɖe, elabena eɖe eƒe amewo tso Egiptetɔwo, ame siwo nye dadalawo kple ame vɔ̃ɖiwo la ƒe asi me.”
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.
Yetro sa numevɔsa kple akpedavɔsawo na Mawu. Emegbe la, Aron kple Israelviwo ƒe ametsitsiwo va do gbe na Yetro, eye wo katã woɖu vɔsalã la le Mawu ŋkume.
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.
Esi ŋu ke la, Mose nɔ anyi abe ale si wòwɔna ɣe sia ɣi ene, tso ŋdi va se ɖe fiẽ be yeadrɔ̃ ʋɔnu le ameawo dome.
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]?”
Esi Mose to kpɔ ɣeyiɣi si ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ la xɔna nɛ la, egblɔ nɛ be, “Nu ka ta nèle agbagba dzem be ye ɖeka yeawɔ nu siawo katã, le esime amewo le tsitre le afi sia ŋkeke blibo la katã be nàkpe ɖe yewo ŋuti?”
15 Moses/I replied, “[I am doing this] because the people keep coming to me to find out what God desires.
Mose ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Elabena dukɔ la va gbɔnye be woabia Mawu ƒe lɔlɔ̃nu.
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.”
Ne nya dzɔ ɖe ameawo dome la, wotsɔnɛ vɛ nam, medrɔ̃nɛ na wo, eye megblɔa Mawu ƒe sewo kple ɖoɖowo na wo.”
17 Jethro said to him/me, “What you are doing is not good [for you or for the people].
Mose to, Yetro gblɔ nɛ be, “Nu si wɔm nèle la menyo o.
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.
Èle ɖeɖiteameŋu kple dɔléle he ge ava ɖokuiwò dzi. Ne eva eme alea ɖe, nu kae wò amewo awɔ? Mose, dɔ sia sẽ akpa be nàvu ɖe eŋu be ye ɖeka yeawɔ.
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.
Ɖo tom, ne maɖo aɖaŋu na wò, eye Mawu anɔ kpli wò, Ànɔ dukɔ la teƒe le Mawu ŋkume, eye nàtsɔ woƒe nyawo ɖo eƒe ŋkume.
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.
Fia Mawu ƒe seawo kple ɖoɖoawo wo, eye nàfia ale si woanɔ agbee kple woƒe dɔdeasiwo wo.
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].
“Di ame zazɛ̃ aɖewo, ame siwo vɔ̃a Mawu, ame siwo gblɔa nyateƒe eye wotsri zãnuxɔxɔ. Tia wo, eye nàɖo wo ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo ɖe ameawo dzi. Ame aɖewo ɖe ame akpe nu, Ame aɖewo ɖe ame alafa nu, Ame aɖewo ɖe ame blaatɔ̃ nu eye Ame aɖewo ɖe ame ewo nu.
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.
Na ame siawo nadrɔ̃ nya kukluiwo na ameawo ɣe sia ɣi. Nya veviwo kple nya sesẽwo koe woatsɔ va gbɔwòe. Ne èto mɔ sia dzi la, nuwo abɔbɔ na wò, elabena àma nyadɔdrɔ̃ ƒe agba kple nyadrɔ̃lawo.
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”].
Ne èzɔ ɖe aɖaŋu sia dzi, eye Mawu lɔ̃ la, àte ŋu anɔ te ɖe dɔ sesẽ sia nu, eye tomefafa kple nusɔsɔ anɔ asaɖa la me.”
24 Moses/I accepted what his/my father-in-law [Jethro] suggested.
Mose xɔ toa ƒe aɖaŋu, eye wòzɔ ɖe eƒe nyawo nu.
25 Moses/I chose capable men from among the Israeli people.
Etia ame zazɛ̃wo le Israelviwo katã dome. Ena wozu ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo ɖe ameawo dzi. Ame aɖewo adrɔ̃ ʋɔnu na ame akpewo, bubuwo na alafawo, bubuwo na blaatɔ̃wo kple ewowo.
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.
Wonɔa anyi ɣe sia ɣi na nyadɔdrɔ̃. Wotsɔa nya sesẽwo vaa Mose gbɔ, ke wodrɔ̃a nya kukluiwo le wo ɖokuiwo si.
27 Then Moses/I said goodbye to his/my father-in-law, and Jethro returned home.
Le ɣeyiɣi kpui aɖe megbe la, Mose na toa trɔ yi wo de.
