1 و َسَمِعَ يَثرُونُ كاهِنُ مِديانَ، حَمُو مُوسَى، عَنْ كُلِّ ما عَمِلَهُ اللهُ لِمُوسَى وَإسْرائِيلَ شَعبِهِ، وَكَيفَ أنَّ اللهَ أخرَجَهُمْ مِنْ مِصرَ.

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

2 ف َاصْطَحَبَ يَثرُونُ، حَمُو مُوسَى، ابْنَتَهُ صِفُّورَةَ زَوجَةَ مُوسَى. وَكَانَ مُوسَى قَدْ أرسَلَها إلَى أبيها.

Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after Moses had sent her back,

3 و َجاءَ مَعَها ابْناها. اسْمُ أحَدِهِما جِرْشُومُ، لِأنَّ مُوسَى قالَ: «كُنتُ غَريباً فِي أرْضٍ غَرِيبَةٍ،»

And her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom, for Moses said, I have been an alien in a strange land;

4 و َاسْمُ الآخَرِ ألِيعازَرُ، لِأنَّ مُوسَى قالَ: «إلَهُ أبِي هُوَ مُعِينِي، وَقَدْ أنقَذَنِي مِنْ سَيفِ فِرعَوْنَ.»

And the name of the other was Eliezer, for the God of my father, said Moses, was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.

5 و َذَهَبَ يَثرُونُ حَمُو مُوسَى مَعَ ابْنَي مُوسَى وَزَوجَتِهِ إلَى مُوسَى إلَى الصَّحْراءِ، حَيثُ كانَ مُخَيِّماً قُربَ جَبَلِ اللهِ.

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

6 و َأرْسَلَ إلَى مُوسَى رَسُولاً يَقُولُ لَهُ: «أنا يَثرُونُ حَمُوكَ أتَيْتُ إلَيكَ مَعَ زَوجَتِكَ وَابْنَيكَ.»

And he said to Moses, I, your father-in-law Jethro, am come to you and your wife and her two sons with her.

7 ف َخَرَجَ مُوسَى لِلِقاءِ حَمِيهِ، وَانحَنَى وَقَبَّلَهُ. وَبَعْدَ أنْ سَلَّمَ كُلُّ مِنْهُما عَلَى الآخَرِ، دَخَلا الخَيمَةَ.

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

8 و َرَوَى مُوسَى لِحَمِيهِ كُلَّ ما عَمِلَهُ اللهُ لِفِرعَونَ وَلِمِصرَ لِأجلِ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ، وَكُلَّ الضِّيقِ الَّذِي واجَهَهُ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ فِي الطَّرِيقِ، وَكَيفَ أنقَذَهُمُ اللهُ.

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

9 ف َفَرِحَ يَثرُونُ بِكُلِّ الخَيرِ الَّذِي عَمِلَهُ اللهُ لِبَنِي إسْرائِيلَ إذْ أنقَذَهُمْ مِنْ أيْدِي المِصْريّينَ.

Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness the Lord had done to Israel in that He had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10 و َقالَ يَثْرُونُ: «مُبارَكٌ اللهُ الَّذِي أنقَذَكُمْ مِنْ أيْدِي المِصْرِيّينَ وَمِنْ يَدِ فِرعَوْنَ، أنقَذَ الشَّعبَ مِنْ تَسَلُّطِ المِصرِيِّينَ.

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 ا لآنَ صِرتُ أعرِفُ أنَّ يهوه أعظَمُ مِنْ كُلِّ الآلِهَةِ، لِأنَّهُ أنقَذَ شَعبَهُ مِنْ تَسَلُّطِ مِصرَ، حِينَ ظَلَمَهُمُ المِصرِيُّونَ.»

Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods. Yes, in the thing in which they dealt proudly.

12 و َقَدَّمَ يَثرُونُ حَمُو مُوسَى ذَبيحَةً وَقَرابينَ للهِ. وَأتَى هارُونُ وَكُلُّ شُيُوخِ إسْرائِيلَ وَأكَلُوا مَعاً مَعَ حَمِي مُوسَى فِي حَضْرَةِ اللهِ.

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

13 و َفِي اليَومِ التّالِي، جَلَسَ مُوسَى لِيَنْظُرَ فِي قَضايا الشَّعبِ. وَوَقَفَ الشَّعبُ حَولَ مُوسَى مِنَ الصَّباحِ إلَى المَساءِ.

Next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening.

14 ف َلَمّا رَأى حَمُو مُوسَى كُلَّ ما كانَ مُوسَى يَعمَلُهُ لِلشَّعبِ، قالَ: «ماذا تَفْعَلُ؟ لِماذا تَجلِسُ وَحدَكَ وَيَقِفُ كُلُّ هَؤُلاءِ النّاسِ حَولَكَ مِنَ الصَّباحِ إلَى المَساءِ؟»

When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, What is this that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?

15 ف َقالَ مُوسَى لِحَمِيهِ: «إنَّهُمْ يأتُونَ إلَيَّ لِيسألُوا اللهِ.

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

16 و َحِينَ يَكُونُ بَينَهُمْ خِلافٌ، يَأتُونَ إلَيَّ لأحكُمَ بَينَ المُتَخاصِمِينَ، وَأُعَرِّفُهُمْ بِفَرائِضِ اللهِ وَشَرائِعِهِ.»

When they have a dispute 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 ف َقالَ حَمُو مُوسَى: «لَيسَ جَيِّداً هَذا الَّذِي تَفعَلُهُ.

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

18 ه َذا مُنهِكٌ لَكَ وَلِلشَّعبِ، لِأنَّ هَذا العَمَلَ صَعبٌ جِدّاً عَلَيكَ، وَلا تَستَطِيعُ القِيامَ بِهِ وَحدَكَ.

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

19 و َالآنَ استَمِعْ إلَيَّ. سَأنصَحُكَ وَأُصَلِّي أنْ يَكُونَ اللهُ مَعَكَ. كُنْ مُمَثِّلَ اللهِ لِلشَّعبِ، وَقَدِّمْ خِلافاتِهِمْ وَقَضاياهُمْ إلَى اللهِ.

Listen now to; I will counsel you, and God will be with you. You shall represent the people before God, bringing their cases and causes to Him,

20 ت َستَطِيعُ أنْ تُعَلِّمَهُمُ الفَرائِضَ وَالشَّرائِعَ وَأنْ تُعَرِّفَهُمُ الطَّرِيقَ الَّذِي يَسلُكُونَهُ، وَالأعْمالَ الَّتِي يَعْمَلُونَها.

Teaching them the decrees and laws, showing them the way they must walk and the work they must do.

21 « لَكِنِ اخْتَرْ مِنَ الشَّعبِ رِجالاً شُرَفاءَ يَخافُونَ اللهَ، أُمَناءَ يَكرَهُونَ الرِّشوَةَ، فَتُعَيِّنَهُمْ عَلَى الشَّعبِ قادَةَ أُلُوفٍ وَمِئاتٍ وَخَماسِينَ وَعَشَراتٍ.

Moreover, you shall choose able men from all the people—God-fearing men of truth who hate unjust gain—and place them over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, to be their rulers.

22 ي َنْظُرُ القادَةُ فِي قَضايا الشَّعبِ كُلَّ الوَقتِ. فَيُحَوِّلُونَ القَضايا الكَبِيرَةَ إلَيكَ. وَأمّا القَضايا الصَّغِيرَةُ فَيَحْكُمُونَ فِيها بِأنفُسِهِمْ. سَيُسَهِّلُ هَذا عَمَلَكَ لأنَّهُمْ سَيَحمِلُونَ الأعْباءَ مَعَكَ.

And let them judge the people at all times; every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.

23 « إنْ عَمِلتَ هَذا، وَأوصاكَ اللهُ بِعَمَلِهِ، تَصِيرُ قادِراً عَلَى احتِمالِ العَمَلِ. وَسَيَذهَبُ هَؤُلاءِ النّاسُ إلَى بُيُوتِهِمْ بِسَلامٍ.»

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

24 ف َاسْتَمَعَ مُوسَى لِحَمِيهِ وَعَمِلَ ما قالَ.

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

25 ف اختارَ رِجالاً شُرَفاءَ مِنْ كُلِّ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ، وَعَيَّنَهُمْ قادَةً لِلشَّعبِ، رُؤَساءَ أُلُوفٍ وَمِئاتٍ وَخَماسِينَ وَعَشَراتٍ.

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

26 ف َكانُوا يَنْظُرُونَ فِي قَضايا الشَّعبِ كُلَّ الوَقتِ، فَيُحضِرُونَ القَضَايا الصَّعْبَةَ إلَى مُوسَى، بَينَما يَحكُمُونَ هُمْ فِي المَشاكِلِ الصَّغِيرَةِ.

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

27 ث ُمَّ وَدَّعَ مُوسَى حَماهُ، فَعَادَ إلَى أرْضِهِ.

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