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 came into Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:
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, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 Jakob ih caanawk loe sangqum boih ah qui sarihto oh o; Joseph loe Izip prae ah oh hmaloe.
All the people who were descendants of Jacob were seventy in number. Joseph was already in Egypt.
6 Joseph hoi anih ih amyanawk, to nathuem ah kaom kaminawk doeh duek o boih.
Then Joseph, all his brothers, and all that generation died.
7 Israel kaminawk loe caa sak o, paroeai pop o; pung o moe, thacak o parai.
The Israelites were fruitful, increased greatly in numbers, and became very strong; the land was filled with them.
8 To pacoengah Joseph panoek ai kangtha siangpahrang mah Izip prae to uk.
Now then a new king arose over Egypt, one who did not know about Joseph.
9 Anih mah angmah ih kaminawk khaeah, Khen oh, Israel kaminawk loe pop o parai moe, aicae pongah thacak o boeh.
He said to his people, “Look, the Israelites are more numerous and 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 deal with them wisely, otherwise they will continue to grow in numbers, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave 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.
So they put taskmasters over them to oppress them with hard labor. The Israelites built store cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Rameses.
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 the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites increased in numbers and spread. So the Egyptians began to dread the Israelites.
13 Izip kaminawk loe tahmenhaih tawn ai ah Israel caanawk to toksak o sak;
The Egyptians made the Israelites work rigorously.
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.
They made their lives bitter with hard service with mortar and brick, and with all kinds of work in the fields. All their required work was hard.
15 Izip siangpahrang mah nawkta omsakkung Hebru nongpata hnik, Shiphrah hoi Puah khaeah,
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives; the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the other Puah.
16 Hebru nongpatanawk nawkta ohsak naah, kahoihah khen hoih loe, nongpa nahaeloe hum hoi roep ah, nongpata loe pathlung hoih, tiah a naa.
He said, “When you assist the Hebrew women on the birthstool, observe when they give birth. If it is a son, then you must kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she may 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.
But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt ordered them; instead, they let the baby 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.
The king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the baby 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. They are vigorous and have finished giving birth before a midwife comes to them.”
20 Sithaw mah nawkta omsakkungnawk nuiah anghoehaih tawnh pongah, kami pung o moe, thacak o.
God protected these midwives. The people increased in numbers and became very strong.
21 Nawkta omsakkung hnik loe Sithaw to zit hoi pongah, Sithaw mah nihnik khaeah imthong hoi khosakhaih to paek.
Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
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.
Pharaoh ordered all his people, “You must throw every son that is born into the river, but every daughter you will let live.”
