Mısır’dan Çıkış 18

¹Midyan kâhini ve Musa'nın kayınpederi Yotor, Rab'bin kendi halkı İsrail'e yaptığı her şeyi ve Rab'bin İsrail'i Mısır'dan nasıl çıkardığını duydu.

²Musa'nın kayınpederi Yotor, Musa'nın karısı Sefora'yı, onun [Musa tarafından] gönderilmesinden sonra yanına aldı.

³Onun iki oğlunu da beraberine aldı; bunlardan birinin adı, Musa'nın "Yabancı bir ülkede geçici ikamet eden biriyim" demesinden ötürü Gerşam'dı.

⁴İkincisinin adı ise, "Çünkü babamın Tanrısı yardımcım oldu ve beni Firavun'un elinden kurtardı" demesinden ötürü Eliezer'di.

⁵Musa'nın kayınpederi Yotor, Musa'nın oğulları ve karısıyla birlikte, çölde Tanrı'nın dağında konakladığı yere, Musa'ya doğru gitti.

⁶Musa'ya, "İşte kayınpederin Yotor, karın ve onunla birlikte iki oğlun sana geliyor" diye haber iletildi.

⁷Musa kayınpederini karşılamaya çıktı, önünde eğilip onu öptü; birbirlerini selamladıktan sonra onları çadıra aldı.

⁸Musa, Rab'bin İsrail uğruna Firavun'a ve tüm Mısırlılara yaptığı her şeyi, yolda çektikleri tüm sıkıntıları ve Rab'bin kendilerini Firavun'un ve Mısırlıların elinden nasıl kurtardığını kayınpederine anlattı.

⁹Yotor, Rab'bin onları Mısırlıların ve Firavun'un elinden kurtararak İsrail'e yaptığı tüm iyilikler karşısında hayretler içinde kaldı.

¹⁰Yotor, "Onları Mısırlıların ve Firavun'un elinden kurtaran Rab'be övgüler olsun!" dedi.

¹¹"Şimdi anladım ki, Rab tüm ilahlardan büyüktür; çünkü bu sebepten dolayı onlara saldırdılar."

¹²Musa'nın kayınpederi Yotor, Tanrı'ya sunulmak üzere yakmalık sunular ve kurbanlar aldı; Harun ve İsrail'in tüm ileri gelenleri de Tanrı'nın huzurunda Musa'nın kayınpederiyle birlikte ekmek paylaşmaya geldiler.

¹³Ertesi gün Musa halkı yargılamak üzere oturdu; halk sabahtan akşama kadar Musa'nın yanında ayakta bekledi.

¹⁴Musa'nın kayınpederi, onun halk için yaptığı her şeyi görünce, "Halk için yaptığın bu iş nedir?" dedi, "Neden tek başına oturuyorsun da tüm halk sabahtan akşama kadar senin yanında ayakta bekliyor?"

¹⁵Musa kayınpederine, "Çünkü halk Tanrı'dan bir yargı aramak için bana geliyor" diye yanıt verdi.

¹⁶"Aralarında bir anlaşmazlık çıktığında bana geliyorlar; ben de her birini yargılıyor, Tanrı'nın buyruklarını ve O'nun yasasını onlara öğretiyorum."

¹⁷Musa'nın kayınpederi ona, "Bu yaptığın iş doğru değil" dedi.

¹⁸"Hem sen hem de yanındaki bu halk dayanılmaz bir tükenişle tükeneceksiniz; bu iş sana çok ağır, tek başına bunun altından kalkamazsın.

¹⁹Şimdi beni dinle, sana bir öğüt vereyim ve Tanrı seninle olsun: Sen halk için Tanrı'nın önündeki işlerde aracı ol ve onların davalarını Tanrı'ya ilet.

²⁰Onlara Tanrı'nın buyruklarını ve yasasını bildir; yürüyecekleri yolları ve yapacakları işleri onlara göster.

²¹Ayrıca tüm halkın arasından yetenekli, Tanrı'dan korkan, adil ve kibri hor gören adamlar seç; onları biner, yüzer, ellişer ve onar kişilik toplulukların başına önderler olarak ata.

²²Halkı her zaman onlar yargılasınlar; aşırı büyük davaları sana getirsinler, küçük davaları ise kendileri çözsünler. Böylece yükünü hafifletip seninle paylaşırlar.

²³Eğer bu işi yaparsan ve Tanrı da seni güçlendirirse dayanabilirsin; böylece tüm bu halk da esenlik içinde kendi yerine döner."

²⁴Musa kayınpederinin sesine kulak verdi ve onun söylediği her şeyi yaptı.

²⁵Musa tüm İsrail'den yetenekli adamlar seçti ve onları biner, yüzer, ellişer ve onar kişilik toplulukların başına önderler olarak atadı.

²⁶Halkı her zaman onlar yargıladılar; aşırı büyük davaları Musa'ya getirdiler, hafif davaları ise kendileri çözdüler.

²⁷Sonra Musa kayınpederini uğurladı, o da kendi ülkesine döndü.

¹ΗΚΟΥΣΕ δὲ ᾿Ιοθὸρ ἱερεὺς Μαδιὰμ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησε Κύριος ᾿Ισραὴλ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ λαῷ· ἐξήγαγε γὰρ Κύριος τὸν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου.

²ἔλαβε δὲ ᾿Ιοθὸρ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ Σεπφώραν τὴν γυναῖκα Μωυσῆ μετὰ τὴν ἄφεσιν αὐτῆς

³καὶ τοὺς δύο υἱοὺς αὐτῆς· ὄνομα τῷ ἑνὶ αὐτῶν Γηρσὰμ λέγων· πάροικος ἤμην ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ·

⁴καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ δευτέρου ῾Ελιέζερ λέγων· ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς τοῦ πατρός μου βοηθός μου καὶ ἐξείλατό με ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραώ.

⁵καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ᾿Ιοθὸρ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ πρὸς Μωυσῆν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, οὗ παρενέβαλεν ἐπ᾿ ὄρους τοῦ Θεοῦ.

⁶ἀνηγγέλη δὲ Μωυσῇ λέγοντες· ἰδοὺ ὁ γαμβρός σου ᾿Ιοθὸρ παραγίνεται πρὸς σέ, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ καὶ οἱ δύο υἱοί σου μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

⁷ἐξῆλθε δὲ Μωυσῆς εἰς συνάντησιν τῷ γαμβρῷ καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐφίλησεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἠσπάσαντο ἀλλήλους· καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν σκηνήν.

⁸καὶ διηγήσατο Μωυσῆς τῷ γαμβρῷ πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησε Κύριος τῷ Φαραὼ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις ἕνεκεν τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ πάντα τὸν μόχθον τὸν γενόμενον αὐτοῖς ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ καὶ ὅτι ἐξείλατο αὐτοὺς Κύριος ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραὼ καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων.

⁹ἐξέστη δὲ ᾿Ιοθὸρ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς, οἷς ἐποίησεν αὐτοῖς Κύριος, ὅτι ἐξείλατο αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς Αἰγυπτίων καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραώ.

¹⁰καί εἶπεν ᾿Ιοθόρ· εὐλογητὸς Κύριος, ὅτι ἐξείλατο αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς Αἰγυπτίων καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραώ·

¹¹νῦν ἔγνων ὅτι μέγας Κύριος παρὰ πάντας τοὺς θεούς, ἕνεκεν τούτου ὅτι ἐπέθεντο αὐτοῖς.

¹²καὶ ἔλαβεν ᾿Ιοθὸρ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ θυσίας τῷ Θεῷ· παρεγένετο δὲ ᾿Ααρὼν καὶ πάντες οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ᾿Ισραὴλ συμφαγεῖν ἄρτον μετὰ τοῦ γαμβροῦ Μωυσῆ ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ.

¹³Καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τὴν ἐπαύριον συνεκάθισε Μωυσῆς κρίνειν τὸν λαόν· παρειστήκει δὲ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς Μωυσῇ ἀπὸ πρωΐθεν ἕως δείλης.

¹⁴καὶ ἰδὼν ᾿Ιοθὸρ πάντα ὅσα ποιεῖ τῷ λαῷ, λέγει· τί τοῦτο, ὃ σὺ ποιεῖς τῷ λαῷ; διατί σὺ κάθησαι μόνος, πᾶς δὲ ὁ λαὸς παρέστηκέ σοι ἀπὸ πρωΐθεν ἕως δείλης;

¹⁵καὶ λέγει Μωυσῆς τῷ γαμβρῷ, ὅτι παραγίνεται πρός με ὁ λαὸς ἐκζητῆσαι κρίσιν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ.

¹⁶ὅταν γὰρ γένηται αὐτοῖς ἀντιλογία καὶ ἔλθωσι πρός με, διακρίνω ἕκαστον καὶ συμβιβάζω αὐτοὺς τὰ προστάγματα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὸν νόμον αὐτοῦ.

¹⁷εἶπε δὲ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ πρὸς αὐτόν· οὐκ ὀρθῶς σὺ ποιεῖς τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο·

¹⁸φθορᾷ καταφθαρήσῃ ἀνυπομονήτῳ καὶ σὺ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς οὗτος, ὅς ἐστι μετὰ σοῦ· βαρύ σοι τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο, οὐ δυνήσῃ ποιεῖν σὺ μόνος.

¹⁹νῦν οὖν ἄκουσόν μου καὶ συμβουλεύσω σοι, καὶ ἔσται ὁ Θεὸς μετὰ σοῦ. γίνου σὺ τῷ λαῷ τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ἀνοίσεις τοὺς λόγους αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν,

²⁰καὶ διαμαρτύρῃ αὐτοῖς τὰ προστάγματα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὸν νόμον αὐτοῦ καὶ σημανεῖς αὐτοῖς τὰς ὁδούς, ἐν αἷς πορεύσονται ἐν αὐταῖς, καὶ τὰ ἔργα ἃ ποιήσουσι.

²¹καὶ σὺ σεαυτῷ σκέψαι ἀπὸ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ ἄνδρας δυνατούς, θεοσεβεῖς, ἄνδρας δικαίους, μισοῦντας ὑπερηφανίαν, καὶ καταστήσεις ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν χιλιάρχους καὶ ἑκατοντάρχους καὶ πεντηκοντάρχους καὶ δεκαδάρχους,

²²καὶ κρινοῦσι τὸν λαὸν πᾶσαν ὥραν· τὸ δὲ ρῆμα τὸ ὑπέρογκον ἀνοίσουσιν ἐπὶ σέ, τὰ δὲ βραχέα τῶν κριμάτων κρινοῦσιν αὐτοὶ καὶ κουφιοῦσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ καὶ συναντιλήψονταί σοι.

²³ἐὰν τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο ποιήσῃς, κατισχύσει σε ὁ Θεός, καὶ δυνήσῃ παραστῆναι, καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς οὗτος εἰς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ τόπον μετ᾿ εἰρήνης ἥξει.

²⁴ἤκουσε δὲ Μωυσῆς τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ γαμβροῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν ὅσα εἶπεν αὐτῷ.

²⁵καὶ ἐπέλεξε Μωυσῆς ἄνδρας δυνατοὺς ἀπὸ παντὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτοὺς ἐπ᾿ αὐτῶν χιλιάρχους καὶ ἑκατοντάρχους καὶ πεντηκοντάρχους καὶ δεκαδάρχους.

²⁶καὶ ἐκρίνοσαν τὸν λαὸν πᾶσαν ὥραν· πᾶν δὲ ρῆμα ὑπέρογκον ἀνεφέροσαν ἐπὶ Μωυσῆν, πᾶν δὲ ρῆμα ἐλαφρὸν ἐκρίνοσαν αὐτοί.

²⁷ἐξαπέστειλε δὲ Μωυσῆς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ γαμβρόν, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ.

¹And Jothor the priest of Madiam, the father-in-law of Moses, heard of all that the Lord did to his people Israel; for the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt.

²And Jothor the father-in-law of Moses, took Sepphora the wife of Moses after she had been sent away,

³and her two sons: the name of the one was Gersam, [his father] saying, I was a sojourner in a strange land;--

⁴and the name of the second, Eliezer, saying, For the God of my father [is] my helper, and he has rescued me out of the hand of Pharao.

⁵And Jothor the father-in-law of Moses, and his sons and his wife, went forth to Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped on the mount of God.

⁶And it was told Moses, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law Jothor is coming to thee, and thy wife and two sons with him.

⁷And Moses went forth to meet his father-in-law, and did him reverence, and kissed him, and they embraced each other, and he brought them into the tent.

⁸And Moses related to his father-in-law all things that the Lord did to Pharao and all the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the labour that had befallen them in the way, and that the Lord had rescued them out of the hand of Pharao, and out of the hand of the Egyptians.

⁹And Jothor was amazed at all the good things which the Lord did to them, forasmuch as he rescued them out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharao.

¹⁰And Jothor said, Blessed be the Lord, because he has rescued them out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharao.

¹¹Now know I that the Lord is great above all gods, because of this, wherein they attacked them.

¹²And Jothor the father-in-law of Moses took whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices for God, for Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses before God.

¹³And it came to pass after the morrow that Moses sat to judge the people, and all the people stood by Moses from morning till evening.

¹⁴And Jothor having seen all that [Moses] did to the people, says, What is this that thou doest to the people? wherefore sittest thou alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning till evening?

¹⁵And Moses says to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to seek judgment from God.

¹⁶For whenever there is a dispute among them, and they come to me, I give judgment upon each, and I teach them the ordinances of God and his law.

¹⁷And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, Thou dost not this thing rightly,

¹⁸thou wilt wear away with intolerable weariness, both those and all this people which is with thee: this thing is hard, thou wilt not be able to endure it thyself alone.

¹⁹Now then hearken to me, and I will advise thee, and God shall be with thee: be thou to the people in the things pertaining to God, and thou shalt bring their matters to God.

²⁰And thou shalt testify to them the ordinances of God and his law, and thou shalt shew to them the ways in which they shall walk, and the works which they shall do.

²¹And do thou look out for thyself out of all the people able men, fearing God, righteous men, hating pride, and thou shalt set over the people captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens.

²²And they shall judge the people at all times, and the too burdensome matter they shall bring to thee, but they shall judge the smaller cases; so they shall relieve thee and help thee.

²³If thou wilt do this thing, God shall strengthen thee, and thou shalt be able to attend, and all this people shall come with peace into their own place.

²⁴And Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did whatsoever he said to him.

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

²⁶And they judged the people at all times; and every too burdensome matter they brought to Moses, but every light matter they judged themselves.

²⁷And Moses dismissed his father-in-law, and he returned to his own land.