The Latin Vulgate VUL
English Standard Version ESV
1 cumque audisset Iethro sacerdos Madian cognatus Mosi omnia quae fecerat Deus Mosi et Israhel populo suo eo quod eduxisset Dominus Israhel de Aegypto
1
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 tulit Sefforam uxorem Mosi quam remiserat
2
Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home,
3 et duos filios eius quorum unus vocabatur Gersan dicente patre advena fui in terra aliena
3
along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land"),
4 alter vero Eliezer Deus enim ait patris mei adiutor meus et eruit me de gladio Pharaonis
4
and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh").
5 venit ergo Iethro cognatus Mosi et filii eius et uxor ad Mosen in desertum ubi erat castrametatus iuxta montem Dei
5
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.
6 et mandavit Mosi dicens ego cognatus tuus Iethro venio ad te et uxor tua et duo filii tui cum ea
6
And when he sent word to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,"
7 qui egressus in occursum cognati sui adoravit et osculatus est eum salutaveruntque se mutuo verbis pacificis cumque intrasset tabernaculum
7
Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent.
8 narravit Moses cognato suo cuncta quae fecerat Deus Pharaoni et Aegyptiis propter Israhel universum laborem qui accidisset eis in itinere quo liberarat eos Dominus
8
Then 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 in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.
9 laetatusque est Iethro super omnibus bonis quae fecerat Dominus Israheli eo quod eruisset eum de manu Aegyptiorum
9
And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 et ait benedictus Dominus qui liberavit vos de manu Aegyptiorum et de manu Pharaonis qui eruit populum suum de manu Aegypti
10
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 has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 nunc cognovi quia magnus Dominus super omnes deos eo quod superbe egerint contra illos
11
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people."
12 obtulit ergo Iethro cognatus Mosi holocausta et hostias Deo veneruntque Aaron et omnes senes Israhel ut comederent panem cum eo coram Domino
12
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought 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 altero autem die sedit Moses ut iudicaret populum qui adsistebat Mosi de mane usque ad vesperam
13
The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening.
14 quod cum vidisset cognatus eius omnia scilicet quae agebat in populo ait quid est hoc quod facis in plebe cur solus sedes et omnis populus praestolatur de mane usque ad vesperam
14
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?"
15 cui respondit Moses venit ad me populus quaerens sententiam Dei
15
And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God;
16 cumque acciderit eis aliqua disceptatio veniunt ad me ut iudicem inter eos et ostendam praecepta Dei et leges eius
16
when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws."
17 at ille non bonam inquit rem facis
17
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.
18 stulto labore consumeris et tu et populus iste qui tecum est ultra vires tuas est negotium solus illud non poteris sustinere
18
You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.
19 sed audi verba mea atque consilia et erit Deus tecum esto tu populo in his quae ad Deum pertinent ut referas quae dicuntur ad eum
19
Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God,
20 ostendasque populo caerimonias et ritum colendi viamque per quam ingredi debeant et opus quod facere
20
and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do.
21 provide autem de omni plebe viros potentes et timentes Deum in quibus sit veritas et qui oderint avaritiam et constitue ex eis tribunos et centuriones et quinquagenarios et decanos
21
Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
22 qui iudicent populum omni tempore quicquid autem maius fuerit referant ad te et ipsi minora tantummodo iudicent leviusque tibi sit partito in alios onere
22
And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.
23 si hoc feceris implebis imperium Dei et praecepta eius poteris sustentare et omnis hic populus revertetur cum pace ad loca sua
23
If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace."
24 quibus auditis Moses fecit omnia quae ille suggesserat
24
So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.
25 et electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israhel constituit eos principes populi tribunos et centuriones et quinquagenarios et decanos
25
Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
26 qui iudicabant plebem omni tempore quicquid autem gravius erat referebant ad eum faciliora tantummodo iudicantes
26
And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.
27 dimisitque cognatum qui reversus abiit in terram suam
27
Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.