Exode 18
La Bible du Semeur
La visite de Jéthro
18 Jéthro, prêtre de Madian et beau-père de Moïse, apprit tout ce que Dieu avait fait en faveur de Moïse et d’Israël son peuple, il apprit comment Dieu avait fait sortir les Israélites d’Egypte. 2 Alors il emmena Séphora[a], la femme de Moïse, que celui-ci avait précédemment laissé repartir chez elle, 3 ainsi que les deux fils de Séphora. L’aîné s’appelait Guershom (Emigré en ces lieux) parce que Moïse avait dit : « Je suis un émigré dans une terre étrangère ». 4 Il avait nommé le cadet Eliézer (Mon Dieu me secourt) en disant : « Le Dieu de mon père m’a secouru et m’a délivré de l’épée du pharaon. »
5 Jéthro se rendit donc auprès de Moïse, dans le désert, avec la femme et les fils de Moïse, près de la montagne de Dieu où Moïse avait dressé son camp. 6 Il lui fit annoncer : Moi, Jéthro, ton beau-père, je viens te rendre visite avec ta femme et tes deux fils.
7 Moïse sortit à la rencontre de son beau-père, se prosterna devant lui et l’embrassa. Ils prirent réciproquement de leurs nouvelles, puis entrèrent sous la tente. 8 Moïse raconta à son beau-père tout ce que l’Eternel avait fait au pharaon et aux Egyptiens pour délivrer Israël ; il lui parla aussi de toutes les difficultés qu’ils avaient rencontrées en chemin, et lui dit comment l’Eternel les en avait délivrés. 9 Jéthro se réjouit de tout le bien que l’Eternel avait fait à Israël qu’il avait délivré des Egyptiens.
10 – Loué soit l’Eternel, s’écria-t-il, qui vous a délivrés des Egyptiens et du pharaon, qui a libéré le peuple de la domination des Egyptiens. 11 A présent, je reconnais que l’Eternel est plus grand que tous les dieux, car il l’a montré alors qu’on tyrannisait les Israélites.
12 Puis Jéthro, beau-père de Moïse, offrit à Dieu un holocauste et des sacrifices. Aaron et tous les responsables d’Israël vinrent partager le repas sacré avec le beau-père de Moïse en présence de Dieu.
Le conseil de Jéthro
13 Le lendemain, Moïse siégea pour rendre justice au peuple. Du matin au soir, les gens se tinrent devant lui. 14 Lorsque le beau-père de Moïse vit toute la peine que celui-ci se donnait pour le peuple, il lui dit : Pourquoi agis-tu de cette façon pour traiter les affaires du peuple ? Pourquoi sièges-tu seul et pourquoi tout ce monde attend-il debout du matin au soir pour se présenter devant toi ?
15 Moïse lui répondit : C’est que les gens viennent me trouver pour consulter Dieu. 16 Lorsqu’ils ont un différend, ils viennent à moi, et je sers d’arbitre entre les parties ; je leur fais connaître les ordonnances et les lois de Dieu.
17 Le beau-père de Moïse lui dit : Ta façon de faire n’est pas bonne. 18 Tu finiras, à coup sûr, par t’épuiser – toi et le peuple qui est avec toi – car la tâche dépasse tes forces. Tu ne peux pas l’accomplir seul. 19 Maintenant écoute le conseil que je vais te donner, et que Dieu te vienne en aide. Ton rôle est de représenter le peuple auprès de Dieu et de porter les litiges devant lui. 20 Tu dois aussi leur communiquer ses ordonnances et ses lois, leur enseigner la voie à suivre et la conduite à tenir. 21 Pour le reste, choisis parmi le peuple des hommes de valeur, qui craignent Dieu, respectueux de la vérité, incorruptibles ; tu les placeras à la tête du peuple comme chefs de « milliers », chefs de « centaines », chefs de « cinquantaines » et chefs de « dizaines ». 22 Ils seront en tout temps à la disposition du peuple pour juger les affaires ordinaires et ils ne porteront devant toi que les affaires importantes, mais ils jugeront eux-mêmes les cas faciles à régler. Allège ainsi ta charge ! Qu’ils la portent avec toi ! 23 Si tu agis comme je te le conseille et que Dieu te dirige, tu pourras tenir bon et tous ces gens arriveront chez eux dans de bonnes conditions.
24 Moïse suivit le conseil de son beau-père et fit tout ce que celui-ci lui avait suggéré. 25 Il choisit dans tout Israël des hommes capables et les plaça à la tête du peuple comme chefs de « milliers », de « centaines », de « cinquantaines » et de « dizaines ». 26 Ils étaient constamment à la disposition du peuple pour rendre la justice, réglant eux-mêmes les cas faciles et portant devant Moïse les affaires difficiles. 27 Moïse prit congé de son beau-père qui reprit le chemin de son pays.
Exodus 18
21st Century King James Version
18 When 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 then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after Moses had sent her back
3 and her two sons (of whom the name of the one was Gershom [that is, A stranger there], for he said, “I have been an alien in a strange land”;
4 and the name of the other was Eliezer [that is, My God is a help], “For the God of my father,” said he, “was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”);
5 and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God.
6 And he said unto Moses, “I, thy father-in-law Jethro, have come unto thee and thy wife and her two sons with her.”
7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.
8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them.
9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods; for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, He was above them.”
12 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
13 And it came to pass on the morrow that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
14 And when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that thou doest for the people? Why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto evening?”
15 And Moses said unto his father-in-law, “Because the people come unto me to inquire of God.
16 When they have a matter, they come unto me, and I judge between one and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and His laws.”
17 And Moses’ father-in-law said unto him, “The thing that thou doest is not good.
18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and this people who are with thee. For this thing is too heavy for thee. Thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
19 Hearken now unto my voice! I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to Godward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God.
20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk and the work that they must do.
21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God — men of truth, hating covetousness — and place such over them to be rulers of thousands and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties and rulers of tens.
22 And let them judge the people at all seasons; and it shall be that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge. So shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
23 If thou shalt do this thing and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.”
24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
25 And 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.
26 And they judged the people at all seasons. The hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 And Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
Exodus 18
Wycliffe Bible
18 And when Jethro, the priest of Midian, the ally, either (the) father of the wife of Moses, had heard all things which God had done to Moses, and to Israel his people, for the Lord had led Israel out of the land of Egypt, (And when Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, had heard of all the things which God had done for Moses, and for his people Israel, yea, that the Lord had led Israel out of the land of Egypt,)
2 Jethro took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, whom Moses had sent again (whom Moses had sent back to him),
3 and his two sons, of which one was called Gershom, for the father at his birth (had) said, I was a comeling in an alien land (I was a newcomer in a foreign land),
4 forsooth the tother was called Eliezer, for Moses at his birth (had) said, (For the) God of my father is mine helper, and he delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.
5 Therefore Jethro, ally of Moses, came, and the sons of Moses and his wife came to Moses, into desert, where Jethro set tents beside the hill of God; (And so Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ wife and their sons, into the wilderness, where Moses had pitched the tents beside God’s mountain;)
6 and he sent to Moses, and said, I Jethro, thine ally, come to thee, and thy wife, and thy two sons with her. (and he sent word to Moses, and said, I Jethro, thy father-in-law, have come to thee, with thy wife, and thy two sons with her.)
7 And Moses went out into the coming of his ally, and worshipped, and kissed him, and they greeted themselves together with peaceable words. And when Jethro had entered into the tabernacle, (And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed before him, and kissed him, and they greeted each other with friendly words. And when Jethro had gone into the tent,)
8 Moses told to him all (the) things which God had done to Pharaoh, and to the Egyptians, for Israel, and he told to him all the travail that befell to them in the way, of which the Lord had delivered them (and he told him of all the tribulation that had befallen them on the way, and how the Lord had saved them).
9 And Jethro was glad on all the goods which the Lord had done to Israel, for he [had] delivered Israel from the hand of [the] Egyptians. (And Jethro was glad for all the good things that the Lord had done for Israel, for he had saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians.)
10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, that delivered you from the hand(s) of the Egyptians, and from the hand of Pharaoh, the which Lord delivered his people from (being under) the hand, (or the power,) of Egypt;
11 now I know that the Lord is great above all gods, for they did proudly against them. (now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods, for what he hath done to those who did so proudly against thee.)
12 Therefore Jethro, ally of Moses (And so Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law), offered burnt sacrifices and offerings to God; and Aaron, and all the elder men of Israel, came to eat bread with Jethro before God.
13 Forsooth in the tother day, Moses sat that he should deem the people, which stood nigh to Moses, from the morrowtide till to the eventide. (And the next day, Moses sat down to judge the people, who stood about him, from the morning until the evening.)
14 And when his ally had seen this, that is, all things which he did in the people, he said, What is this that thou doest in the people? why sittest thou alone, and all the people abideth thee from the morrowtide till to eventide? (And when his father-in-law had seen this, that is, all the things which he did for the people, Jethro said, What is this that thou doest for the people? why sittest thou alone, and all the people waiteth for thee from the morning until the evening?)
15 To whom Moses answered, The people cometh to me, and asketh the sentence of God;
16 and when any strife befalleth to them, they come to me, that I deem betwixt them (so that I can judge between them), and show (them) the commandments of God, and his laws.
17 And Jethro said, Thou doest a thing that is not good,
18 thou art wasted with a fond travail, both thou, and this people that is with thee; the work is above thy strengths, thou alone mayest not suffer it (thou cannot do it all alone).
19 But hear thou my words, and my counsels, and the Lord shall be with thee; be thou to the people in these things that pertain to God, that thou tell (them) the things that be said to the people; (But hear thou my words, and my counsel, and the Lord shall be with thee; it is right to represent the people before God, and to bring their causes to him;)
20 and show to the people the ceremonies, and [the] custom(s) of worshipping, and the way by which they ought to go, and the work which they ought to do.
21 Forsooth purvey thou of all the people wise men, and dreading God, in which is truth, and which hate avarice; and ordain thou of them tribunes, and centurions, and quinquagenaries, and deans [and ordain of them rulers upon thousands, and rulers upon hundreds, and rulers upon fifty, and rulers upon ten], (But find thou out of the people some men who be wise, and who fear God, in whom is truth, and who hate greed; and make thou them leaders of a thousand, and of a hundred, and of fifty, and of ten,)
22 which shall deem the people in all time; soothly whatever thing is greater, tell they to thee, and deem they only [the] less(er) things, and be it easier to thee, when the burden is parted into other men. (and they shall judge their people at all times; but whatever case is hard, or too difficult, let them tell that to thee, and judge they only the simple cases, and so it shall be easier for thee, when the burden is shared with these other men.)
23 If thou shalt do this, thou shalt fulfill the commandment of God, and thou shalt be able to bear his commandments; and all this people shall turn again with peace to their places (and all these people shall return to their places in peace).
24 And when these things were heard, Moses did all things which Jethro counselled.
25 And when noble men of all Israel were chosen, Moses ordained them princes of the people (And when some noble men were chosen out of all Israel, Moses ordained them the people’s leaders), tribunes, and centurions, and quinquagenaries, and deans [rulers upon thousands, and rulers upon hundreds, and rulers upon fifties, and rulers upon ten],
26 which deemed the people in all time; forsooth, whatever thing was harder, they told to Moses, and they deemed [the] easier things only. (who judged the people at all times; but whatever case was hard, or too difficult, they told it to Moses, and they judged only the easy, or the simple, cases.)
27 And Moses let go his ally, which turned again, and went into his land. (And then Moses let his father-in-law go, and he returned to his own land.)
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.
2001 by Terence P. Noble