U-Eksodusi 18:1-27
18 UJethro umphristi waseMidiyani uyisezala+ kaMosi wezwa konke uNkulunkulu ayekwenzele uMosi kanye labantu bakhe ama-Israyeli, lendlela uJehova ayebakhiphe ngayo eGibhithe.+
2 UJethro uyisezala kaMosi wemukela uZiphora umkaMosi wahlala laye ngesikhathi ebuyiselwe kuye
3 kanye lamadodana akhe amabili.+ Enye indodana kaMosi yayibizwa ngokuthi nguGeshomu*+ ngoba uMosi wathi, “Sengibe ngowezizweni elizweni elingayisilo lakithi.”
4 Enye yayibizwa ngokuthi ngu-Eliyezeri* ngoba wathi, “UNkulunkulu kababa ungumsizi wami futhi ungikhulule enkembeni+ kaFaro.”
5 Ngakho uJethro uyisezala kaMosi wabuya lomkaMosi kanye lamadodana akhe bafika kuMosi enkangala lapho ayemise khona itende entabeni kaNkulunkulu weqiniso.+
6 Wasethumela ilizwi kuMosi wathi: “Mina yihlozala uJethro,+ ngiza kuwe lomkakho lamadodana akho amabili.”
7 UMosi wahle waphuma wayahlangabeza uyisezala, wafika wakhothama wamqabuza, babuzana impilo basebengena etendeni.
8 UMosi walandisela uyisezala konke uJehova ayekwenze kuFaro laseGibhithe elwela abako-Israyeli.+ Wamlandisela labo bonke ubunzima abahlangana labo endleleni+ kanye lendlela uJehova ayebakhulule ngayo.
9 UJethro wathokoza esizwa zonke izinto ezinhle uJehova ayezenzele abako-Israyeli ngesikhathi ebakhulula eGibhithe.*
10 UJethro wasesithi: “Kadunyiswe uJehova olikhulule eGibhithe lakuFaro, okhulule abantu emandleni amaGibhithe.
11 Khathesi sengikwazi ukuthi uJehova mkhulu kakhulu ukwedlula abanye onkulunkulu,+ ngenxa yalokho akwenze kulabo akade beziphakamisa bemelana labantu bakhe.”
12 Ngemva kwalokho uJethro uyisezala kaMosi waletha umnikelo wokutshiswa kanye lemihlatshelo kuNkulunkulu. U-Aroni labo bonke abadala bako-Israyeli babuya bazokudla loyisezala kaMosi phambi kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso.
13 Ngelanga elilandelayo uMosi wahlala phansi njengenjayelo ukuze ahlulele abantu njalo baqhubeka bemi phambi kwakhe kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwahlwa.
14 Uyisezala wathi ebona konke uMosi ayekwenzela abantu wathi: “Kanti ukwenzelani lokhu? Kungani uhlala lapha wedwa uhanqwe ngabantu bonke laba abami phambi kwakho kusukela ekuseni kuze kuhlwe?”
15 UMosi waphendula uyisezala wathi: “Kungenxa yokuthi abantu baqhubeka bengilanda bezobuza kuNkulunkulu.
16 Nxa kungavuka indaba ilethwa kimi njalo kuyabe kumele ngahlulele phakathi kwabantu ababili besengibazisa izinqumo zikaNkulunkulu weqiniso kanye lemithetho+ yakhe.”
17 Uyisezala wasesithi kuye: “Akukuhle lokhu okwenzayo.
18 Wena labantu laba olabo lizadinwa sibili ngoba umthwalo lo mkhulu kakhulu kuwe, ngeke uwuthwale uwedwa.
19 Lalela-ke, ngikucebise njalo uNkulunkulu uzakuba lawe.+ Wena woba ngummeli wabantu phambi kukaNkulunkulu+ weqiniso futhi kumele uyekwethula amacala lawo phambi kukaNkulunkulu+ weqiniso.
20 Kumele ubaxwayise ubatshele imilayo lemithetho+ njalo ubatshele lendlela okumele bahambe ngayo kanye lomsebenzi okumele bawenze.
21 Kodwa kumele ukhethe amadoda ahlakaniphileyo+ phakathi kwabantu, amadoda amesabayo uNkulunkulu futhi athembekileyo, azonda inzuzo yobuqili.+ Wabeke ukuthi abe zinduna zabantu abayinkulungwane, lezinduna zabantu abalikhulu, lezinduna zabantu abangamatshumi amahlanu kanye lezinduna zabantu abalitshumi.+
22 Kumele ahlulele abantu nxa kungavuka izindaba. Amadoda la azaletha kuwe+ zonke izindaba ezinzima kodwa zonke izindaba ezincane yiwo azazahlulela. Zenzele izinto zibe lula, uvume ukuthi akuthwalise+ umthwalo.
23 Nxa ungakwenza lokhu njalo kwenzakale njengokulaya kukaNkulunkulu, uzakwenelisa ukuwuthwala umthwalo lo futhi wonke umuntu uzabuyela emzini wakhe esuthisekile.”
24 UMosi wamlalela uyisezala, wahle wenza konke ayemtshele khona.
25 UMosi wakhetha amadoda ahlakaniphileyo kubo bonke abako-Israyeli wawabeka ukuthi akhangele abantu, abe zinduna zabantu abayinkulungwane, lezinduna zabantu abalikhulu, lezinduna zabantu abangamatshumi amahlanu kanye lezinduna zabantu abalitshumi.
26 Ngakho ayesahlulela abantu nxa kungavuka izindaba. Indaba enzima ayeyihambisa kuMosi+ kodwa zonke indaba ezincane yiwo ayezahlulela.
27 Ngemva kwalokho uMosi wavalelisa+ uyisezala, uyisezala wasengena indlela wabuyela elizweni lakibo.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Ibizo leli litsho ukuthi, “Owezizweni.”
^ Ibizo leli litsho ukuthi, “UNkulunkulu wami ungumsizi.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “esandleni seGibhithe.”
