第一八章

¹Now 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.

¹摩西的岳父，米甸祭司葉忒羅，聽見神為摩西和神的百姓以色列所行的一切事，就是耶和華將以色列從埃及領出來的事，

²Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Moses' wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away,

²便帶著摩西的妻子西坡拉，就是摩西從前打發回去的，

³and her two sons, of whom one was named Gershom, for Moses said, 'I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.'

³又帶著西坡拉的兩個兒子，一個名叫革舜，因為摩西說：我在外邦作了寄居的；

⁴The other was named Eliezer, for [he said], 'The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.'

⁴一個名叫以利以謝因為他說：我父親的神幫助了我，救我脫離法老的刀。

⁵Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mount of God.

⁵摩西的岳父葉忒羅帶著摩西的妻子和兩個兒子來到神的山，就是摩西在曠野安營的地方。

⁶He sent word to Moses, 'I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.'

⁶他對摩西說：我是你岳父葉忒羅，帶著你的妻子和兩個兒子來到你這裡。

⁷Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent.

⁷摩西迎接他的岳父，向他下拜，與他親嘴，彼此問安，都進了帳棚。

⁸Moses 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 befallen them on the journey, and [how] the LORD had delivered them.

⁸摩西將耶和華為以色列的緣故向法老和埃及人所行的一切事，以及路上所遭遇的一切艱難，並耶和華怎樣搭救他們，都述說與他岳父聽。

⁹Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians.

⁹葉忒羅因耶和華待以色列的一切好處，就是拯救他們脫離埃及人的手，便甚歡喜。

¹⁰So Jethro said, 'Blessed be the LORD who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, [and] who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

¹⁰葉忒羅說：耶和華是應當稱頌的；他救了你們脫離埃及人和法老的手，將這百姓從埃及人的手下救出來。

¹¹'Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people.'

¹¹我現今在埃及人向這百姓發狂傲的事上得知，耶和華比萬神都大。

¹²Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses' father-in-law before God.

¹²摩西的岳父葉忒羅把燔祭和平安祭獻給神。亞倫和以色列的眾長老都來了，與摩西的岳父在　神面前吃飯。

¹³It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening.

¹³第二天，摩西坐著審判百姓，百姓從早到晚都站在摩西的左右。

¹⁴Now when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, 'What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit [as judge] and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?'

¹⁴摩西的岳父看見他向百姓所做的一切事，就說：你向百姓做的是甚麼事呢？你為甚麼獨自坐著，眾百姓從早到晚都站在你的左右呢？

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

¹⁵摩西對岳父說：這是因百姓到我這裡來求問神。

¹⁶'When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.'

¹⁶他們有事的時候就到我這裡來，我便在兩造之間施行審判；我又叫他們知道神的律例和法度。

¹⁷Moses' father-in-law said to him, 'The thing that you are doing is not good.

¹⁷摩西的岳父說：你這做的不好。

¹⁸'You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.

¹⁸你和這些百姓必都疲憊；因為這事太重，你獨自一人辦理不了。

¹⁹'Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people's representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God,

¹⁹現在你要聽我的話。我為你出個主意，願神與你同在。你要替百姓到神面前，將案件奏告　神；

²⁰then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do.

²⁰又要將律例和法度教訓他們，指示他們當行的道，當做的事；

²¹'Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place [these] over them [as] leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.

²¹並要從百姓中揀選有才能的人，就是敬畏神、誠實無妄、恨不義之財的人，派他們作千夫長、百夫長、五十夫長、十夫長，管理百姓，

²²'Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear [the burden] with you.

²²叫他們隨時審判百姓，大事都要呈到你這裡，小事他們自己可以審判。這樣，你就輕省些，他們也可以同當此任。

²³'If you do this thing and God [so] commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.'

²³你若這樣行，神也這樣吩咐你，你就能受得住，這百姓也都平平安安歸回他們的住處。

²⁴So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

²⁴於是，摩西聽從他岳父的話，按著他所說的去行。

²⁵Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.

²⁵摩西從以色列人中揀選了有才能的人，立他們為百姓的首領，作千夫長、百夫長、五十夫長、十夫長。

²⁶They judged the people at all times; the difficult dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor dispute they themselves would judge.

²⁶他們隨時審判百姓，有難斷的案件就呈到摩西那裡，但各樣小事他們自己審判。

²⁷Then Moses bade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way into his own land.

²⁷此後，摩西讓他的岳父去，他就往本地去了。