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 went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:

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.

The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all, including Joseph, who was already in Egypt.

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

Now Joseph and 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.

but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.

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

Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt.

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

“Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful 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 shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”

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 the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

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 were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.

13 Og Ægypterne tvang Israeliterne til Trællearbejde

They worked the Israelites ruthlessly

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 made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.

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

Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and 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!«

“When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.”

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

The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.

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

So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the 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, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives.”

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

So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became even more numerous.

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

And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.

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!«

Then Pharaoh commanded all his people: “Every son born to the Hebrews you must throw into the Nile, but every daughter you may allow to live.”