Exodus 1
1 Jakob hoi Izip prae ah kalaem imthung takoh Israel kaminawk boih ih ahmin loe,
These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
3 Issakar, Zebulun, Benjamin,
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad hoi Asher.
Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.
5 Jakob ih caanawk loe sangqum boih ah qui sarihto oh o; Joseph loe Izip prae ah oh hmaloe.
The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all, including Joseph, who was already in Egypt.
6 Joseph hoi anih ih amyanawk, to nathuem ah kaom kaminawk doeh duek o boih.
Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,
7 Israel kaminawk loe caa sak o, paroeai pop o; pung o moe, thacak o parai.
but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.
8 To pacoengah Joseph panoek ai kangtha siangpahrang mah Izip prae to uk.
Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt.
9 Anih mah angmah ih kaminawk khaeah, Khen oh, Israel kaminawk loe pop o parai moe, aicae pongah thacak o boeh.
“Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.
10 Angzo oh; nihcae hae palunghahaih hoiah tamet si, to tih ai nahaeloe nihcae loe pop o aep aep tih boeh; misa angtukhaih om nahaeloe, nihcae loe aicae ih misanawk khaeah ni athum o tih, aicae hae tuh o ueloe, aicae prae hae caeh o taak sut tih, tiah a thuih pae.
Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”
11 To pongah nihcae pacaekthlaek hanah hmawsaeng ukkungnawk to suek o. Faro ih hmuenmae patunghaih vangpui, Pithom hoi Raamses to nihcae hanah saksak.
So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.
12 Nihcae to paroeai pacaekthlaek o, toe nihcae loe pung o moe, qoeng o tahang aep aep; Israel kaminawk loe Izip kaminawk pongah paroeai palung boeng o.
But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.
13 Izip kaminawk loe tahmenhaih tawn ai ah Israel caanawk to toksak o sak;
They worked the Israelites ruthlessly
14 Izip kaminawk mah nihcae to thlung kangphaek lakhaih, amlai long hmai qoenghaih hoi laikok thungah karai parai toknawk to a sak o sak moe, pacaekthlaek o.
and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.
15 Izip siangpahrang mah nawkta omsakkung Hebru nongpata hnik, Shiphrah hoi Puah khaeah,
Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,
16 Hebru nongpatanawk nawkta ohsak naah, kahoihah khen hoih loe, nongpa nahaeloe hum hoi roep ah, nongpata loe pathlung hoih, tiah a naa.
“When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.”
17 Toe nawkta omsakkung Hebru nongpata hnik loe Sithaw to zit hoi pongah, Izip siangpahrang mah thuih ih lok baktih toengah sah hoi ai; caa nongpanawk to pathlung hoi.
The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.
18 To pongah Izip siangpahrang mah nihnik to kawk moe, Tipongah hae tiah tok na sak hoi loe? Tipongah caa nongpanawk to na pathlung hoi loe? tiah a naa.
So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”
19 Nawkta omsakkung hnik mah Faro khaeah, Hebru nongpatanawk loe Izip nongpatanawk baktiah om o ai; nihcae loe thacak o pongah, nawkta omsakkung pha ai naah nawkta tapen o ving boeh, tiah a naa hoi.
The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives.”
20 Sithaw mah nawkta omsakkungnawk nuiah anghoehaih tawnh pongah, kami pung o moe, thacak o.
So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became even more numerous.
21 Nawkta omsakkung hnik loe Sithaw to zit hoi pongah, Sithaw mah nihnik khaeah imthong hoi khosakhaih to paek.
And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.
22 To naah Faro mah angmah ih kaminawk khaeah, Tapen caa nongpa to vapui thungah va o boih ah, nongpata loe pathlung o boih ah, tiah lok a paek.
Then Pharaoh commanded all his people: “Every son born to the Hebrews you must throw into the Nile, but every daughter you may allow to live.”
