Jeturo ekumba Mushe
1 Jeturo mpirisiti we Midiyana, nkalabgwa wa Mushe kahwa kose Ndzimu kwawakathamila Mushe ne bakanyi kwabo Baiziraela. Kahwa sekwa Yahwe bakadusa Baiziraela mu Egipiti. 2 Jeturo nkalabgwa wa Mushe wakabe aamutjila Ziphora nkadzi wa Mushe, paakabe abgwiliziwa kanyi kwabo, 3 ne bakololo babe babili. Mmwe wabo zina lile lakabe liyi Geshomu lidwa kuti, “Ndakabe nkumbi mu shango ye butaya.” 4 Zina le mmwe liyi Elieza, lidwa kuti, “Ndzimu wa tate bangu wakabe mbhatshi wangu, kakale wakandiangula mu thumo la Faro.” 5 Ngono Jeturo kazha ne bakololo ba Mushe ne nkadzi wa Mushe mu tjilambanyika Mushe paakabe athibelela pa Dombo le Ndzimu. 6 Jeturo wakabe alayilila kuna Mushe eti, “Imi nkalabgwa uwo Jeturo, ndaswika ku kuli ndina nkadzi uwo ne bakololo benyu babili.” 7 Mushe kabhuda kayenda kunoshanganidza nkalabgwa uwe, kathigama kabutjila, bakabhuzwana mamuko, bakabe bengina mu nshasha. 8 Ndizo Mushe kabudza nkalabgwa uwe kose Yahwe kwabakathama muna Faro ne Baegipiti ngekwe Baiziraela, kambudza mang'oni wose abakawilana nawo mu zila nenge sekwa bakagwigwa ndi Yahwe. 9 Ngono Jeturo kashatha kwazo eshathila kose kwakanaka kwakathamigwa Baiziraela ndi Yahwe, kubaangula mu maboko e Baegipiti. 10 Kalebeleka kakale eti, “Ngakukudziwe Yahwe, ibo bakamuangula mu maboko e Baegipiti ne mu luboko gwa Faro! 11 Ngwenu ndoziba kuti Yahwe bankulu pa midzimu yose, ngoti bakaangula Baiziraela mu maboko e Baegipiti pabakabe bebalengudza.” 12 Ngono Jeturo nkalabgwa wa Mushe kadusila Ndzimu tjibhayilo tjinopisiwa ne zwipo; Aroni kazha ne bakulu be Baiziraela kuwoja zojiwa ne nkalabgwa wa Mushe mbeli kwe Ndzimu.
Kushalugwa kwe basumikilisi
(Matama 1:9-18)13 Tjimuka Mushe kamukila kusumikilisa bathu, ngono bathu bakama bakakubunganila Mushe kudwa mangwanana kudzina zhuba lingina. 14 Nkalabgwa wa Mushe kati ebona kose Mushe kwaakabe ethamila bathu, kambhuzwa kati, “Apa ini ikoku kwaunothamila bathu kene? Ini ugala uli woga bathu bose bema bakakubunganila kudwa mangwanana kunoti madekwana?”
15 Mushe kadabila nkalabgwa uwe eti, “Hwuti bathu banozha kundili kuwobhuzwa ngekwe kuda kwe Ndzimu. 16 Ha basahwanana ngekwe tjimwe banozha kundili imi ndibe ndilinga pakati kwe nthu ne ikamu tjitje, ndibuya ndibazibisa ndaulo dze Ndzimu ne milayo yawo.”
17 Nkalabgwa wa Mushe kandwa kati, “Tjaunothama atjizolulwama. 18 Iwe ne bathu baunabo mowozwipaula, ngoti ikoku kokulemela kwazo, aungakutubule uli woga. 19 Tjindihwilila ngwenu, ndowokupa mano, Ndzimu ube nawe! Iwe unowomila bathu mbeli kwe Ndzimu ubuya uyisa ndebo dzabo ku Ndzimu 20 ne kubadiya ndaulo ne ndongoloso, ubalakidze zila yabakafanila tjila ndiyo ne zwabakafanila shinga. 21 Pezhugwi kwa ikoku, shalula balume banotubula pakati kwe bathu ibaba bose, bali balume banotja Ndzimu, begalikabgwe kakale bebenga tjizwimba nlomo. Balume ibaba ubathame batungamili be bathu, bamwe bali babusi be zwiwulu, bamwe be mazana, bamwe be makumi mashanu, bamwe bali babusi be makumi. 22 Ngabasumikilise bathu misi yose, koga ndebo dzinolema badzizhise ku kuli. Ndebo dzisingaleme badzipedzise ibo, kowokulelusila ngoti banowobe bakasengesana ntolo nawe. 23 Sekwa unolauligwa ne Ndzimu, nge zila yakajali, unowotubula dzikitadzila tjimo, bathu ibaba bose banoyenda ku mizi yabo bagutshika.” 24 Ndizo Mushe kateedza dama le nkalabgwa uwe, ngono kashinga kose kwabakaleba. 25 Mushe kashalula balume banotubula mu Baiziraela bose kabathama batungamili be bathu, bamwe bali babusi be zwiwulu, bamwe be mazana, bamwe be makumi mashanu ne be makumi. 26 Ngono bakasumikilisa bathu misi yose, koga ndebo dzinolema be dziyisa kuna Mushe, ndebo ndelundelu bedzipedzisa ibo. 27 Ndizo Mushe kawonekana ne nkalabgwa uwe kayenda, kabgwilila ku shango ya kanyi kwabo.
Jethro Visits Moses
1 Jethro was the priest of Midian and the father-in-law of Moses. He heard what the Lord God had done for Moses and his people, after rescuing them from Egypt.
2-4 In the meantime, Moses had sent his wife Zipporah and her two sons to stay with Jethro, and he had welcomed them. Moses was still a foreigner in Midian when his first son was born, and so Moses said, “I'll name him Gershom.”
When his second son was born, Moses said, “I'll name him Eliezer, because the God my father worshiped has saved me from the king of Egypt.”
5-6 While Israel was camped in the desert near Mount Sinai, Jethro sent Moses this message: “I am coming to visit you, and I am bringing your wife and two sons.”
7 When they arrived, Moses went out and bowed down in front of Jethro, then kissed him. After they had greeted each other, they went into the tent, 8 where Moses told him everything the Lord had done to protect Israel against the Egyptians and their king. He also told him how the Lord had helped them in all of their troubles.
9 Jethro was so pleased to hear this good news about what the Lord had done, 10 that he shouted, “Praise the Lord! He rescued you and the Israelites from the Egyptians and their king. 11 Now I know that the Lord is the greatest God, because he has rescued Israel from their arrogant enemies.” 12 Jethro offered sacrifices to God. Then Aaron and Israel's leaders came to eat with Jethro there at the place of worship.
Judges Are Appointed
(Deuteronomy 1.9-18)13 The next morning Moses sat down at the place where he decided legal cases for the people, and everyone crowded around him until evening. 14 Jethro saw how much Moses had to do for the people, and he asked, “Why are you the only judge? Why do you let these people crowd around you from morning till evening?”
15 Moses answered, “Because they come here to find out what God wants them to do. 16 They bring their complaints to me, and I make decisions on the basis of God's laws.”
17 Jethro replied:
That isn't the best way to do it. 18 You and the people who come to you will soon be worn out. The job is too much for one person; you can't do it alone. 19 God will help you if you follow my advice. You should be the one to speak to God for the people, 20 and you should teach them God's laws and show them what they must do to live right.
21 You will need to appoint some competent leaders who respect God and are trustworthy and honest. Then put them over groups of 10, 50, 100, and 1,000. 22 These judges can handle the ordinary cases and bring the more difficult ones to you. Having them to share the load will make your work easier. 23 This is the way God wants it done. You won't be under nearly as much stress, and everyone else will return home feeling satisfied.
24 Moses followed Jethro's advice. 25 He chose some competent leaders from every tribe in Israel and put them over groups of 10, 50, 100, and 1,000. 26 They served as judges, deciding the easy cases themselves, but bringing the more difficult ones to Moses.
27 After Moses and his father-in-law Jethro had said goodbye to each other, Jethro returned home.