< 出埃及記 1 >
1 以色列的兒子們,各帶了家眷,同雅各伯來到埃及;他們的名字記載如下:
Now these [are] the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 他們全是雅各伯所生的,一共七十人;若瑟那時已經在埃及。
And all the souls that descended from Jacob, were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt [already].
And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.
7 以色列的子孫生育繁殖,數目增多,極其強盛,佈滿了那地。受壓迫
And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and became exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.
9 他對自己的人民說:「看以色列子民,比我們又多又強。
And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel [are] more and mightier than we.
10 來,我們要用智謀對付他們,免得他們繁盛起來,一遇戰爭,就去與我們的敵人聯合,攻擊我們,然後離開此地。」
Come, let us deal wisely with them: lest they multiply, and it shall come to pass, that when there falleth out any war, they will join with our enemies, and fight against us, and depart from the land.
11 於是派定督工管制他們,以苦役壓迫他們,叫他們給法朗建築丕通和辣默色斯兩做貯貨城。
Therefore they set over them task-masters, to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure-cities, Pithom, and Raamses.
12 但是越壓迫他們,他們越增多,也越繁殖,以至埃及人都怕以色列子民。
But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor.
14 強迫他們作和泥做磚的苦工,田間的一切勞工,以及種種苦工,使他們的生活十分痛苦。殘害男嬰
And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service in which they made them serve, [was] with rigor.
15 埃及王又吩咐為希伯來女人接生的收生婆,一個名叫史斐辣,一個名叫普亞的說
And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives (of which the name of one [was] Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: )
16 「你們為希伯來女人接生時,要看著她們臨盆! 若是男孩,就殺死;若是女孩,就讓她活著。」
And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see [them] upon the stools; if it [shall be] a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it [shall be] a daughter, then she shall live.
17 但是收生婆敬畏天主,沒有照埃及王的吩咐去作,保留了男孩的性命。
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male-children alive.
18 埃及王將收生婆召來,問她們說:「你們為什麼這樣做,竟叫男孩活著呢﹖」
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the male-children alive?
19 ‧收收婆回答法朗說:「希伯來女人和埃及女人不同,她們富有生機,收生婆還沒有來,她們已生產了。」
And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women [are] not as the Egyptian women: for they [are] lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in to them.
20 天主遂恩待了收生婆。以色列的子民更加增多起來,更加強盛。
Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and became very mighty.
And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
22 法朗於是訓令他的全體人民說:「凡希伯來人所生的男孩,你們應把他丟在尼羅河裏;凡是女孩,留她活著! 」
And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.