Bibliorum

 

Éxodo 18

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1 Y oyó Jetro, sacerdote de Madián, suegro de Moisés, todas las cosas que Dios había hecho con Moisés, y con Israel su pueblo, y cómo el SEÑOR había sacado a Israel de Egipto.

2 Y tomó Jetro, suegro de Moisés a Séfora la mujer de Moisés, después que él la envió,

3 y a sus dos hijos; el uno se llamaba Gersón, porque dijo: Peregrino he sido en tierra ajena;

4 y el otro se llamaba Eliezer, porque dijo : El Dios de mi padre me ayudó, y me libró del cuchillo del Faraón.

5 Y Jetro el suegro de Moisés, con sus hijos y su mujer, llegó a Moisés en el desierto, donde tenía el campamento junto al monte de Dios;

6 y dijo a Moisés: Yo tu suegro Jetro vengo a ti, con tu mujer, y sus dos hijos con ella.

7 Y Moisés salió a recibir a su suegro, y se inclinó, y lo besó; y se preguntaron el uno al otro por la paz, y vinieron a la tienda.

8 Y Moisés contó a su suegro todas las cosas que el SEÑOR había hecho al Faraón y a los egipcios por causa de Israel, y todo el trabajo que habían pasado en el camino, y cómo los había librado el SEÑOR.

9 Y se alegró Jetro de todo el bien que el SEÑOR había hecho a Israel, que lo había librado de mano de los egipcios.

10 Y Jetro dijo: Bendito sea el SEÑOR, que os libró de mano de los egipcios, y de la mano del Faraón, y que libró al pueblo de la mano de los egipcios.

11 Ahora conozco que el SEÑOR es grande más que todos los dioses; porque en lo que se ensoberbecieron prevaleció contra ellos.

12 Y tomó Jetro, el suegro de Moisés, holocaustos y sacrificios para Dios; y vino Aarón y todos los ancianos de Israel a comer pan con el suegro de Moisés delante de Dios.

13 Y aconteció que otro día se sentó Moisés a juzgar al pueblo; y el pueblo estuvo delante de Moisés desde la mañana hasta la tarde.

14 Y viendo el suegro de Moisés todo lo que él hacía con el pueblo, dijo: ¿Qué es esto que haces tú con el pueblo? ¿Por qué te sientas tú solo, y todo el pueblo está delante de ti desde la mañana hasta la tarde?

15 Y Moisés respondió a su suegro: Porque el pueblo viene a mí para consultar a Dios.

16 Cuando tienen negocios, vienen a mí; y yo juzgo entre el uno y el otro, y declaro las ordenanzas de Dios y sus leyes.

17 Entonces el suegro de Moisés le dijo: No haces bien.

18 Desfallecerás del todo, tú, y también este pueblo que está contigo; porque el negocio es demasiado pesado para ti; no podrás hacerlo tú solo.

19 Oye ahora mi voz; yo te aconsejaré, y Dios será contigo. Está tú por el pueblo delante de Dios, y somete tú los negocios a Dios.

20 Y enseña a ellos las ordenanzas y las leyes, y muéstrales el camino por donde anden, y lo que han de hacer.

21 Además considera tú de entre todo el pueblo varones de virtud, temerosos de Dios, varones de verdad, que aborrezcan la avaricia; y pondrás sobre el pueblo príncipes sobre mil, sobre ciento, sobre cincuenta y sobre diez.

22 Los cuales juzgarán al pueblo en todo tiempo; y será que todo negocio grave lo traerán a ti, y ellos juzgarán todo negocio pequeño: alivia así la carga de sobre ti, y la llevarán ellos contigo.

23 Si esto hicieres, y Dios te mandare, tú podrás persistir, y todo este pueblo se irá también en paz a su lugar.

24 Entonces Moisés oyó la voz de su suegro, e hizo todo lo que dijo.

25 Y escogió Moisés varones de virtud de todo Israel, y los puso por cabezas sobre el pueblo, príncipes sobre mil, sobre ciento, sobre cincuenta, y sobre diez.

26 Los cuales juzgaban al pueblo en todo tiempo; el negocio arduo lo traían a Moisés, y ellos juzgaban todo negocio pequeño.

27 Y despidió Moisés a su suegro, y se fue a su tierra.

   

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #8694

Studere hoc loco

  
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8694. 'They come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbour' means that revealed truth at this time brought about the arrangement existing among them. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming to me', when this refers to God's truth represented by 'Moses', as coming for advice about what their will and actions ought to be, as above in 8692; and from the meaning of 'judging between a man and his neighbour' as the arrangement existing among truths, arranging being meant by 'judging', see above in 8685. It follows that revealed truth brings the arrangement about, for just above it says that the people came to him to inquire of God, and immediately below that he makes known to them God's judgement and laws.

[2] The term 'revelation' is used to mean the light that comes when the Word is read, and perception then; for this is the way that people who are governed by good and desire truth are taught from the Word. But those who are not governed by good cannot be taught from the Word; they can only be made stronger in whatever they have learned since early childhood, whether that consists in truths or in falsities. The reason why revelation comes to those who are governed by good but not to those who are ruled by evil is that every single thing in the Word refers in the internal sense to the Lord and His kingdom, and the angels present with a person perceive this level of meaning in the Word. Their perception is communicated to the person governed by good who reads the Word and desires truth from an affection for it; through them comes the light he has and his perception. For with those governed by good and consequently by an affection for truth the understanding part of the mind has been opened into heaven, and their soul, that is, their internal man, is in fellowship with the angels. It is altogether different with those who are not governed by good and so do not desire truth out of an affection springing from that good. To these heaven is closed.

[3] But what that revelation is like which comes to those governed by good and consequently by an affection for truth is not easy to describe. It is not something overt, nor is it something altogether hidden; rather it is a kind of inclination, coming from within, to accept that a thing is true, or not to accept if it is not true. When it is the inclination to accept, the mind is at rest and is tranquil; and in that state there exists the acknowledgement that goes with faith. All this comes about as a result of the influx of heaven from the Lord. For from the Lord by way of heaven there comes the light which pours into the understanding, which is the eye of inward sight, and enlightens it. What are now made visible in that light are truths, for that light actually is Divine Truth which emanates from the Lord; and this Truth is the light in heaven, as has been shown often

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

Bibliorum

 

Exodus 18

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1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, how that Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.

2 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away,

3 and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, "I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land".

4 The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, "My father's God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh's sword."

5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God.

6 He said to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her."

7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.

8 Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how Yahweh delivered them.

9 Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which Yahweh had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10 Jethro said, "Blessed be Yahweh, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

11 Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods because of the thing in which they dealt arrogantly against them."

12 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all of the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.

13 It happened on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.

14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, "What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?"

15 Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

16 When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws."

17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good.

18 You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone.

19 Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God.

20 You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21 Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

22 Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you.

23 If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all of these people also will go to their place in peace."

24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.

25 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 They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard causes to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

27 Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.