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

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

2 T hen Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

فَاصْطَحَبَ يَثرُونُ، حَمُو مُوسَى، ابْنَتَهُ صِفُّورَةَ زَوجَةَ مُوسَى. وَكَانَ مُوسَى قَدْ أرسَلَها إلَى أبيها.

3 w ith her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”)

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

4 a nd the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”);

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

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

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

6 N ow he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”

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

7 S o Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent.

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

8 A nd Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them.

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

9 T hen Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

فَفَرِحَ يَثرُونُ بِكُلِّ الخَيرِ الَّذِي عَمِلَهُ اللهُ لِبَنِي إسْرائِيلَ إذْ أنقَذَهُمْ مِنْ أيْدِي المِصْريّينَ.

10 A nd Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

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

11 N ow I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.”

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

12 T hen Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

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

13 A nd so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.

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

14 S o when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

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

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

فَقالَ مُوسَى لِحَمِيهِ: «إنَّهُمْ يأتُونَ إلَيَّ لِيسألُوا اللهِ.

16 W hen they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

وَحِينَ يَكُونُ بَينَهُمْ خِلافٌ، يَأتُونَ إلَيَّ لأحكُمَ بَينَ المُتَخاصِمِينَ، وَأُعَرِّفُهُمْ بِفَرائِضِ اللهِ وَشَرائِعِهِ.»

17 S o Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.

فَقالَ حَمُو مُوسَى: «لَيسَ جَيِّداً هَذا الَّذِي تَفعَلُهُ.

18 B oth you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.

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

19 L isten now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.

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

20 A nd you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.

تَستَطِيعُ أنْ تُعَلِّمَهُمُ الفَرائِضَ وَالشَّرائِعَ وَأنْ تُعَرِّفَهُمُ الطَّرِيقَ الَّذِي يَسلُكُونَهُ، وَالأعْمالَ الَّتِي يَعْمَلُونَها.

21 M oreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

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

22 A nd let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.

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

23 I f you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.”

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

24 S o Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

فَاسْتَمَعَ مُوسَى لِحَمِيهِ وَعَمِلَ ما قالَ.

25 A nd 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.

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

26 S o they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

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

27 T hen Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.

ثُمَّ وَدَّعَ مُوسَى حَماهُ، فَعَادَ إلَى أرْضِهِ.