Exodus 18

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

Exodus 18

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.Ἤκουσε δὲ Ἰοθὸρ ἱερεὺς Μαδιὰμ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησε Κύριος Ἰσραὴλ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ λαῷ· ἐξήγαγε γὰρ Κύριος τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου.

2And Jothor the father-in-law of Moses, took Sepphora the wife of Moses after she had been sent away,Ἔλαβε δὲ Ἰοθὸρ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ Σεπφώραν τὴν γυναῖκα Μωυσῆ μετὰ τὴν ἄφεσιν αὐτῆς,

3and her two sons: the name of the one was Gersam, his father saying, I was a sojourner in a strange land; —καὶ τοὺς δύο υἱοὺς αὐτῆς· ὄνομα τῷ ἑνὶ αὐτῶν Γηρσάμ, λέγων, πάροικος ἤμην ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ·

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.καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ δευτέρου Ἐλίεζερ, λέγων, ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς τοῦ πατρός μου βοηθός μου, καὶ ἐξείλατό με ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραώ.

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.Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ἰοθὸρ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ πρὸς Μωυσῆν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, οὗ παρενέβαλεν ἐπʼ ὄρους τοῦ Θεοῦ.

6And it was told Moses, saying, Behold, your father-in-law Jothor is coming to you, and your wife and two sons with him.Ἀνηγγέλη δὲ Μωυσῇ, λέγοντες, ἰδοὺ ὁ γαμβρός σου Ἰοθὸρ παραγίνεται πρὸς σέ, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ καὶ οἱ δύο υἱοί σου μετʼ αὐτοῦ.

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.Ἐξῆλθε δὲ Μωυσῆς εἰς συνάντησιν τῷ γαμβρῷ, καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐφίλησεν αυτὸν, καὶ ἠσπάσαντο ἀλλήλους, καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν σκηνήν.

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

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.Ἐξέστη δὲ Ἰοθὸρ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς οἷς ἐποίησεν αὐτοῖς Κύριος, ὅτι ἐξείλατο αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς Αἰγυπτίων καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραώ.

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.Καὶ εἶπεν Ἰοθὸρ, εὐλογητὸς Κύριος, ὅτι ἐξείλατο αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς Αἰγυπτίων καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραώ.

11Now know I that the Lord is great above all gods, because of this, * wherein they attacked them.Νῦν ἔγνων ὅτι μέγας Κύριος παρὰ πάντας τοὺς θεούς ἕνεκεν τούτου, ὅτι ἐπέθεντο αὐτοῖς.

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.Καὶ ἔλαβεν Ἰοθὸρ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ θυσίας τῷ Θεῷ· παρεγένετο δὲ Ἀαρὼν καὶ πάντες οἱ πρεσβύτεροι Ἰσραὴλ συμφαγεῖν ἄρτον μετὰ τοῦ γαμβροῦ Μωυσῆ, ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ.

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

14And Jothor having seen all that Moses † did to the people, says, What is this that you do to the people? therefore sit you alone, and all the people stand by you from morning till evening?Καὶ ἰδὼν Ἰοθὸρ 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;

15And Moses says to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to seek judgment from God.Καὶ λέγει Μωυσῆς τῷ γαμβρῶ, Ὅτι παραγίνεται πρός με ὁ λαὸς ἐκζητῆσαι κρίσιν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ.

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

17And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, You do not this thing rightly,Εἶπε δὲ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωυσῆ πρὸς αὐτὸν, οὐκ ὀρθῶς σὺ ποιεῖς τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο.

18you will wear away with intolerable weariness, both those and all this people which is with you: this thing is hard, you will not be able to endure it yourself alone.Φθορᾷ καταφθαρήσῃ ἀνυπομονήτῳ καὶ σὺ, καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς οὗτος, ὅς ἐστι μετὰ σοῦ· βαρύ σοι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο· οὐ δυνήσῃ ποιεῖν σὺ μόνος.

19Now then listen to me, and I will advise you, and God shall be with you: be you to the people in the things pertaining to God, and you shall bring their ‡ matters to God.Νῦν 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.

20And you shall testify to them the ordinances of God and his law, and you shall show to them the ways in which they shall walk, and the works which they shall do.Καὶ διαμαρτύρῇ αὐτοῖς τὰ προστάγματα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὸν νόμον αὐτοῦ, καὶ σημανεῖς αὐτοῖς τὰς ὁδοὺς ἐν αἷς πορεύσονται ἐν αὐταῖς, καὶ τὰ ἔργα ἃ ποιήσουσι.

21And do you look out for yourself out of all the people able men, fearing God, righteous men, hating pride, and you shall set over § the people captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens.Καὶ σὺ σεαυτῷ σκέψαι ἀπὸ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ ἄνδρας δυνατοὺς, θεοσεβεῖς, ἄνδρας δικαίους, μισοῦντας ὑπερηφανίαν, καὶ καταστήσεις ἐπʼ αὐτῶν χιλιάρχους καὶ ἑκατοντάρχους καὶ πεντηκοντάρχους καὶ δεκαδάρχους.

22And they shall judge the people at all times, and the too burdensome matter they shall bring to you, but they shall judge the smaller cases; so they shall relieve you and help you.Καὶ κρινοῦσι τὸν λαὸν πᾶσαν ὥραν· τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα τὸ ὑπέρογκον ἀνοίσουσιν ἐπὶ σὲ· τὰ δὲ βραχέα τῶν κριμάτων κρινοῦσιν αὐτοί· καὶ κουφιοῦσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ, καὶ συναντιλήψονταί σοι.

23If you will do this thing, God shall strengthen you, and you shall be able to attend, and all this people shall come with peace into ** their own place.Ἐὰν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ποιήσῃς, κατισχύσει σε ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ δυνήσῃ παραστῆναι, καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς οὗτος εἰς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ τόπον μετʼ εἰρήνης ἥξει.

24And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did whatever he said to him.Ἤκουσε δὲ Μωυσῆς τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ γαμβροῦ, καὶ ἐποίησεν ὅσα εἶπεν αὐτῷ.

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.Καὶ ἐπέλεξε Μωυσῆς ἄνδρας δυνατοὺς ἀπὸ παντὸς Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτοὺς ἐπʼ αὐτῶν χιλιάρχους καὶ ἑκατοντάρχους καὶ πεντηκοντάρχους καὶ δεκαδάρχους.

26And they judged the people at all times; and every too burdensome matter they brought to Moses, but every light matter they judged themselves.Καὶ ἐκρίνοσαν τὸν λαὸν πᾶσαν ὥραν· πᾶν δὲ ῥῆμα ὑπέρογκον ἀνεφέροσαν ἐπὶ Μωυσῆν· πᾶν δὲ ῥῆμα ἐλαφρὸν ἐκρίνοσαν αὐτοί.

27And Moses dismissed his father-in-law, and he returned to his own land.Ἐξαπέστειλε δὲ Μωυσῆς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ γαμβρὸν, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ.

Translator's Notes

These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.

• v. 11*The meaning appeaars to be, The Lord showed his superiority on this occasion, when the enemy attacked the Israelites.
• v. 14†Gr. does.
• v. 19‡Gr. words.
• v. 21§Gr. them.
• v. 23**Gr. his own.
• v. 25††Gr. them.