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 into Egypt with Jacob. They entered, each one with his house:
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, 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.
Therefore, all the souls of those who went forth from Jacob’s thigh were seventy. Now Joseph was in Egypt.
6 Joseph hoi anih ih amyanawk, to nathuem ah kaom kaminawk doeh duek o boih.
When he had died, along with all of his brothers and all of that generation,
7 Israel kaminawk loe caa sak o, paroeai pop o; pung o moe, thacak o parai.
the sons of Israel increased, and they multiplied like seedlings. And having been strengthened exceedingly, they filled the land.
8 To pacoengah Joseph panoek ai kangtha siangpahrang mah Izip prae to uk.
Meanwhile, there arose a new king over Egypt, who was ignorant of Joseph.
9 Anih mah angmah ih kaminawk khaeah, Khen oh, Israel kaminawk loe pop o parai moe, aicae pongah thacak o boeh.
And he said to his people: “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are many, and they are stronger than we are.
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 wisely oppress them, lest they multiply; and if any war should advance against us, they may be added to our enemies, and having fought against us, they might depart from the land.”
11 To pongah nihcae pacaekthlaek hanah hmawsaeng ukkungnawk to suek o. Faro ih hmuenmae patunghaih vangpui, Pithom hoi Raamses to nihcae hanah saksak.
And so he set over them masters of the works, in order to afflict them with burdens. And they built for Pharaoh the cities of the tabernacles: Pithom and Raamses.
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.
And the more they oppressed them, so much more did they multiply and increase.
13 Izip kaminawk loe tahmenhaih tawn ai ah Israel caanawk to toksak o sak;
And the Egyptians hated the sons of Israel, and they afflicted them and mocked them.
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 they led their life directly into bitterness, with hard work in clay and brick, and with all kinds of servitude, so that they were being overwhelmed with the works of the land.
15 Izip siangpahrang mah nawkta omsakkung Hebru nongpata hnik, Shiphrah hoi Puah khaeah,
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews, (one of whom one was called Shiphrah, another Puah)
16 Hebru nongpatanawk nawkta ohsak naah, kahoihah khen hoih loe, nongpa nahaeloe hum hoi roep ah, nongpata loe pathlung hoih, tiah a naa.
instructing them: “When you will act as a midwife to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery has arrived: if it is male, put it to death; if it is female, retain it.”
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.
But the midwives feared God, and so they did not act according to the precept of the king of Egypt, but they kept the males safe.
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.
And summoning them, the king said, “What did you intend to do, so that you would save the boys?”
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.
They responded: “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. For they themselves have the wisdom of a midwife, and so they give birth before we can come to them.”
20 Sithaw mah nawkta omsakkungnawk nuiah anghoehaih tawnh pongah, kami pung o moe, thacak o.
Therefore, God acted favorably toward the midwives. And the people increased, and they were strengthened exceedingly.
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 built houses for them.
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.
Therefore, Pharaoh instructed all his people, saying: “Whatever will be born of the male sex, cast it into the river; whatever will be born of the female sex, retain it.”
