Exodus 1
1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt (every man and his household who came with Jacob):
Dette er Navnene paa Israels Sønner, der sammen med Jakob kom til Ægypten med deres Familier:
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
Ruben, Simeon, Levi og Juda,
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
Issakar, Zebulon og Benjamin,
4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
Dan og Naftali, Gad og Aser.
5 And all the souls who came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls. And Joseph was in Egypt already.
Jakobs Efterkommere udgjorde i alt halvfjerdsindstyve, men Josef var i Ægypten.
6 And Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.
Imidlertid døde Josef og alle hans Brødre og hele dette Slægtled.
7 And the sons of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty, and the land was filled with them.
Men Israeliterne var frugtbare og formerede sig, og de blev mange og overmaade talrige, saa at Landet blev fuldt af dem.
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.
Da kom der en ny Konge over Ægypten, som ikke vidste noget om Josef;
9 And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we.
og han sagde til sit Folk: »Se, Israels Folk bliver talrigere og stærkere end vi.
10 Come, let us deal craftily with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when war happens, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.
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!«
11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built store-cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Rameses.
Saa satte man Fogeder over dem til at plage dem med Trællearbejde, og de maatte bygge Forraadsbyer for Farao: Pitom og Ra'amses.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. And they were grieved because of the sons of Israel.
Men jo mere man plagede dem, des flere blev de, og des mere bredte de sig, saa Ægypterne fik Rædsel for Israeliterne.
13 And the Egyptians made the sons of Israel to serve with rigor.
Og Ægypterne tvang Israeliterne til Trællearbejde
14 And they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, with which they made them serve with rigor.
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.
15 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.
Ægypterkongen sagde da til Hebræerkvindernes Jordemødre, af hvilke den ene hed Sjifra, den anden Pua:
16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birth-stool, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him, but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
»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!«
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.
Men Jordemødrene frygtede Gud og gjorde ikke, som Ægypterkongen havde befalet dem, men lod Drengebørnene leve.
18 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?
Da lod Ægypterkongen Jordemødrene kalde og sagde til dem: »Hvorfor har I baaret eder saaledes ad og ladet Drengebørnene leve?«
19 And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women, for they are lively, and are delivered before the midwife comes to them.
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!«
20 And God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.
Og Gud gjorde vel imod Jordemødrene, og Folket blev stort og saare talrigt;
21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them households.
og Gud gav Jordemødrene Afkom, fordi de frygtede ham.
22 And Pharaoh ordered all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
Da udstedte Farao den Befaling til hele sit Folk: »Alle Drengebørn, der fødes, skal I kaste i Nilen, men Pigebørnene skal I lade leve!«
