< Êxodo 18 >

1 E ouviu Jetro, sacerdote de Midiã, sogro de Moisés, todas as coisas que Deus havia feito com Moisés, e com Israel seu povo, e como o SENHOR havia tirado a Israel do Egito:
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 E tomou Jetro, sogro de Moisés a Zípora a mulher de Moisés, depois que ele a enviou,
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,
3 E a seus dois filhos; um se chamava Gérson, porque disse: Peregrino fui em terra alheia;
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 E o outro se chamava Eliézer, porque disse, O Deus de meu pai me ajudou, e me livrou da espada de Faraó.
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 E Jetro o sogro de Moisés, com seus filhos e sua mulher, chegou a Moisés no deserto, onde tinha o acampamento junto ao monte de Deus;
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 E disse a Moisés: Eu teu sogro Jetro venho a ti, com tua mulher, e seus dois filhos com ela.
He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”
7 E Moisés saiu a receber a seu sogro, e inclinou-se, e beijou-o: e perguntaram-se um ao outro como estavam, e vieram à tenda.
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 E Moisés contou a seu sogro todas as coisas que o SENHOR havia feito a Faraó e aos egípcios por causa de Israel, e todo o trabalho que haviam passado no caminho, e como os havia livrado o SENHOR.
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 E alegrou-se Jetro de todo o bem que o SENHOR havia feito a Israel, que o havia livrado da mão dos egípcios.
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 E Jetro disse: Bendito seja o SENHOR, que vos livrou da mão dos egípcios, e da mão de Faraó, e que livrou ao povo da mão dos egípcios.
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 Agora conheço que o SENHOR é maior que todos os deuses, até naquilo em que se vangloriavam contra o povo.
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”
12 E tomou Jetro, sogro de Moisés, holocaustos e sacrifícios para Deus: e veio Arão e todos os anciãos de Israel a comer pão com o sogro de Moisés diante de Deus.
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 E aconteceu que outro dia se sentou Moisés a julgar ao povo; e o povo esteve diante de Moisés desde a manhã até à tarde.
On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.
14 E vendo o sogro de Moisés tudo o que ele fazia com o povo, disse: Que é isto que fazes tu com o povo? por que te sentas tu sozinho, e todo o povo está diante de ti desde a manhã até à tarde?
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 E Moisés respondeu a seu sogro: Porque o povo vem a mim para consultar a Deus:
Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
16 Quando têm negócios, vem a mim; e eu julgo entre o um e o outro, e declaro as ordenanças de Deus e suas leis.
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 Então o sogro de Moisés lhe disse: Não fazes bem:
Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.
18 Desfalecerás de todo, tu, e também este povo que está contigo; porque o negócio é demasiado pesado para ti; não poderás fazê-lo tu sozinho.
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 Ouve agora minha voz; eu te aconselharei, e Deus será contigo. Está tu pelo povo diante de Deus, e traze tu os negócios a Deus.
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 E ensina a eles as ordenanças e as leis, e mostra-lhes o caminho por onde andem, e o que hão de fazer.
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 Ademais busca dentre todo o povo homens de virtude, temerosos de Deus, homens de verdade, que odeiem a ganância; e constituirás a estes sobre eles líderes sobre mil, sobre cem, sobre cinquenta e sobre dez.
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 Os quais julgarão ao povo ao todo tempo; e será que todo negócio grave o trarão a ti, e eles julgarão todo negócio pequeno: alivia assim a carga de sobre ti, e eles a levarão contigo.
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 Se isto fizeres, e Deus te o mandar, tu poderás persistir, e todo este povo se irá também em paz a seu lugar.
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 E ouviu Moisés a voz de seu sogro, e fez tudo o que disse.
So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
25 E escolheu Moisés homens de virtude de todo Israel, e os pôs por chefes sobre o povo, líderes sobre mil, sobre cem, sobre cinquenta, e sobre dez.
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 E julgavam ao povo ao todo tempo; o negócio árduo traziam-no a Moisés, e eles julgavam todo negócio pequeno.
They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 E despediu Moisés a seu sogro, e foi-se à sua terra.
Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.

< Êxodo 18 >