2 Mosebog 1

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

These are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt with Jacob, each 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, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

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

All the people who were descendants of Jacob were seventy in number. Joseph was already in Egypt.

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

Then Joseph, all his brothers, and all that generation died.

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

The Israelites were fruitful, increased greatly in numbers, and became very strong; the land was filled with them.

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

Now then a new king arose over Egypt, one who did not know about Joseph.

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

He said to his people, “Look, the Israelites are more numerous and stronger than we are.

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

So they put taskmasters over them to oppress them with hard labor. The Israelites built store cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Rameses.

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 the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites increased in numbers and spread. So the Egyptians began to dread the Israelites.

13 Og Ægypterne tvang Israeliterne til Trællearbejde

The Egyptians made the Israelites work rigorously.

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.

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

Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives; the name of the one was Shiphrah, and 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!«

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

But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt ordered them; instead, they let the baby boys live.

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

The king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the baby boys live?”

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!«

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

God protected these midwives. The people increased in numbers and became very strong.

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

Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

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!«

Pharaoh ordered all his people, “You must throw every son that is born into the river, but every daughter you will let live.”