< Exodus 1 >

1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt; every man and his family came with Jacob.
Ndị a bụ aha ụmụ ndị ikom Izrel, ndị sooro Jekọb gaa biri nʼala Ijipt, onye ọbụla nʼime ha kpọ ezinaụlọ ya.
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
Ruben, Simiọn, Livayị na Juda;
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
Isaka, Zebụlọn na Benjamin;
4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
Dan, na Naftalị; Gad na Asha.
5 All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons: and Joseph had come to Egypt before them.
Ọnụọgụgụ ụmụ Jekọb ndị sooro ya gaa biri nʼIjipt dị iri mmadụ asaa. Ma Josef nọrịị nʼIjipt.
6 Then Joseph came to his end, and all his brothers, and all that generation.
Emesịa, Josef na ụmụnne ya niile nwụrụ, ma ọgbọ ahụ niile nwụkwara.
7 And the children of Israel were fertile, increasing very greatly in numbers and in power; and the land was full of them.
Ma ihe gaara ụmụ ụmụ Izrel nke ọma, ha mụbara, dị ukwuu nʼọnụọgụgụ, jupụta ala ahụ niile.
8 Now a new king came to power in Egypt, who had no knowledge of Joseph.
Ma mgbe eze ọhụrụ nke na-amaghị Josef malitere ịchị ọchịchị nʼala Ijipt,
9 And he said to his people, See, the people of Israel are greater in number and in power than we are:
ọ sịrị ndị ya, “Lee, ndị Izrel abaala ụba nke ukwuu nʼọnụọgụgụ dịkwa ike karịa anyị.
10 Let us take care for fear that their numbers may become even greater, and if there is a war, they may be joined with those who are against us, and make an attack on us, and go up out of the land.
Ngwanụ, ka anyị were amamihe meso ha mmeso ọjọọ, ma ọ bụghị otu a, ha ga-amụba karịa, mgbe agha ga-adapụta nʼetiti anyị na ndị iro anyị, ha ga-esoro ndị iro anyị lụso anyị agha, site nʼala a gbapụ.”
11 So they put overseers of forced work over them, in order to make their strength less by the weight of their work. And they made store-towns for Pharaoh, Pithom and Raamses.
Nʼihi nke a, ha tinyere ndịisi ohu ga na eledo ha, bụ ndị ga-eji ọrụ mmanye kpagbuo ha. Ha wuuru Fero obodo Payitọm na Ramesis, ebe ọ na-echekwa ihe.
12 But the more cruel they were to them, the more their number increased, till all the land was full of them. And the children of Israel were hated by the Egyptians.
Ma dịka a na-ata ụmụ Izrel ahụhụ na-eleghị anya nʼazụ, otu a kwa ka ụmụ Izrel gara nʼihu na-amụba nʼọnụọgụgụ na-agbasakwa. Nke a mere ka ndị Ijipt tụọ ndị Izrel egwu.
13 And they gave the children of Israel even harder work to do:
Ha ji oke ọrụ mekpaa ụmụ Izrel ahụ nke ukwuu,
14 And made their lives bitter with hard work, making building-material and bricks, and doing all sorts of work in the fields under the hardest conditions.
mee ka ndụ ụmụ Izrel bụrụ ndụ jupụtara nʼihe ilu. Ha nyere ha ọrụ ike nke ịkpụ brik na ụrọ, tinyere ọrụ dị iche iche nʼubi ha. Nʼime ọrụ niile ha na-arụ, ndị Ijipt mesiri ha ike nke ukwuu.
15 And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew women who gave help at the time of childbirth (the name of the one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah),
Mgbe ahụ kwa, eze Ijipt gwara ndị inyom Hibru na-aghọ nwa, ndị aha ha bụ Shifra na Pua sị,
16 When you are looking after the Hebrew women in childbirth, if it is a son you are to put him to death; but if it is a daughter, she may go on living.
“Mgbe ọbụla unu na-aghọ nwa ndị inyom Hibru, unu lezie anya nʼokwute e ji amụ nwa, ọ bụrụ nwoke, gbuonụ ya, ma ọ bụrụkwanụ nwanyị, hapụnụ ya ka ọ dịrị ndụ.”
17 But the women had the fear of God, and did not do as the king of Egypt said, but let the male children go on living.
Ma ndị inyom ndị a na-aghọ nwa emeghị ihe eze Ijipt gwara ha, nʼihi na ha tụrụ egwu Chineke. Kama ha hapụrụ ụmụ ndị ikom ndị a ndụ.
18 And the king of Egypt sent for the women, and said to them, Why have you done this, and let the male children go on living?
Emesịa, eze Ijipt kpọrọ ndị inyom abụọ ahụ jụọ ha sị, “Gịnị mere unu ji nupu isi nʼiwu m nyere unu site nʼịhapụ igbu ụmụntakịrị ndị ikom Hibru a mụrụ, dịka m gwara unu?”
19 And they said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are strong, and the birth takes place before we come to them.
Ndị inyom ahụ zara Fero sị, “Ndị inyom Hibru na-adị ike karịa ndị inyom Ijipt nʼịmụ nwa. Ha na-amụpụtacharị ụmụ ha tupu anyị erute.”
20 And the blessing of God was on these women: and the people were increased in number and became very strong.
Ya mere, Chineke gọziri ndị inyom ndị ahụ na-aghọ nwa. Ụmụ Izrel gara nʼihu na-amụba, ghọọ mba dị ukwuu.
21 And because the women who took care of the Hebrew mothers had the fear of God, he gave them families.
Chineke nʼonwe ya, nyekwara ndị inyom ahụ na-aghọ nwa ezinaụlọ nke aka ha nʼihi na ha tụrụ egwu Chineke.
22 And Pharaoh gave orders to all his people, saying, Every son who comes to birth is to be put into the river, but every daughter may go on living.
Mgbe ahụ, Fero nyere ndị ya niile iwu a, “A ga-atụnye ụmụntakịrị ndị ikom Hibru niile a mụrụ ọhụrụ nʼime osimiri Naịl, ma a ga-edebe ụmụntakịrị ọhụrụ bụ ndị inyom ndụ.”

< Exodus 1 >