2 Mosebog 1

1 Dette er Navnene paa Israels Sønner, der sammen med Jakob kom til Ægypten med deres Familier:

NOW THESE are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob; every man came with his household:

2 Ruben, Simeon, Levi og Juda,

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

3 Issakar, Zebulon og Benjamin,

Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

4 Dan og Naftali, Gad og Aser.

Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5 Jakobs Efterkommere udgjorde i alt halvfjerdsindstyve, men Josef var i Ægypten.

And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt already.

6 Imidlertid døde Josef og alle hans Brødre og hele dette Slægtled.

And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.

7 Men Israeliterne var frugtbare og formerede sig, og de blev mange og overmaade talrige, saa at Landet blev fuldt af dem.

And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

8 Da kom der en ny Konge over Ægypten, som ikke vidste noget om Josef;

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

9 og han sagde til sit Folk: »Se, Israels Folk bliver talrigere og stærkere end vi.

And he said unto his people: 'Behold, the people of the children of Israel are too many and too mighty for us;

10 Velan, lad os gaa klogt til Værks imod dem, for at de ikke skal blive for mange; ellers kan det hænde, naar vi kommer i Krig, at de gaar over til vore Modstandere og kæmper mod os og til sidst forlader Landet!«

come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there befalleth us any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.'

11 Saa satte man Fogeder over dem til at plage dem med Trællearbejde, og de maatte bygge Forraadsbyer for Farao: Pitom og Ra'amses.

Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses.

12 Men jo mere man plagede dem, des flere blev de, og des mere bredte de sig, saa Ægypterne fik Rædsel for Israeliterne.

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were adread because of the children of Israel.

13 Og Ægypterne tvang Israeliterne til Trællearbejde

And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour.

14 og gjorde dem Livet bittert ved haardt Arbejde med Ler og Tegl og alle Haande Markarbejde, ved alt det Arbejde, de tvang dem til at udføre for sig.

And they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field; in all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigour.

15 Ægypterkongen sagde da til Hebræerkvindernes Jordemødre, af hvilke den ene hed Sjifra, den anden Pua:

And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah;

16 »Naar I forløser Hebræerkvinderne, skal I se godt efter ved Fødselen, og er det et Drengebarn, tag saa Livet af det, men er det et Pigebarn, lad det saa leve!«

and he said: 'When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, ye shall look upon the birthstool: if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.'

17 Men Jordemødrene frygtede Gud og gjorde ikke, som Ægypterkongen havde befalet dem, men lod Drengebørnene leve.

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men-children alive.

18 Da lod Ægypterkongen Jordemødrene kalde og sagde til dem: »Hvorfor har I baaret eder saaledes ad og ladet Drengebørnene leve?«

And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them: 'Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?'

19 Men Jordemødrene svarede Farao: »Hebræerkvinderne er ikke som de Ægyptiske Kvinder, de har let ved at føde; inden Jordemoderen kommer til dem, har de allerede født!«

And the midwives said unto Pharaoh: 'Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwife come unto them.'

20 Og Gud gjorde vel imod Jordemødrene, og Folket blev stort og saare talrigt;

And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

21 og Gud gav Jordemødrene Afkom, fordi de frygtede ham.

And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses.

22 Da udstedte Farao den Befaling til hele sit Folk: »Alle Drengebørn, der fødes, skal I kaste i Nilen, men Pigebørnene skal I lade leve!«

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.'