Exodus 1
1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:
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：
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
勒烏本、西默盎、勒末和猶大，
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
依撒加爾，則步隆和本雅明丹，
4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.
和納裴塔里，加得和阿協爾。
5 The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all, including Joseph, who was already in Egypt.
他們全是雅各伯所生的，一共七十人；若瑟那時已經在埃及。
6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,
若瑟和他的眾兄弟，以及這一代的人死了以後，
7 but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.
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
8 Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt.
有位不認識若瑟的新王興起，統治了埃及。
9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.
他對自己的人民說：「看以色列子民，比我們又多又強。
10 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.”
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。」
11 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.
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。
12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.
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。
13 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly
於是埃及人更嚴厲地強迫以色列子民做苦工，
14 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.
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
15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,
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
16 “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.”
「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。」
17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.
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。
18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”
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﹖」
19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives.”
‧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。」
20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became even more numerous.
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。
21 And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.
因為收生婆敬畏天主，天主就使她們家門興旺。
22 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.”
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! 」
