Exodus 1
1 And these are the names of the sons of Israel who had come into Egypt; with Jacob had they come, each with his household:
La ngamabizo amadodana ka-Israyeli aya eGibhithe loJakhobe, munye ngamunye lemuli yakhe:
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
uRubheni, uSimiyoni, uLevi loJuda;
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
u-Isakhari, uZebhuluni loBhenjamini,
4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.
uDani loNafithali; uGadi lo-Asheri.
5 And all the souls that had come out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt.
Inzalo yonke kaJakhobe yayingamatshumi ayisikhombisa. UJosefa wayevele eseseGibhithe.
6 And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.
Kwathi uJosefa labo bonke abafowabo kanye lasosonke lesosizukulwane sebefile,
7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and swarmed and multiplied, and became exceeding strong; and the land was full of them.
abako-Israyeli bazalana banda kakhulu, okokuthi ilizwe lonke lagcwala ngabo.
8 And there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
Kwasekusiba lenye inkosi eyayingazi lutho ngoJosefa, yaba ngumbusi eGibhithe.
9 And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and stronger than we.
Yathi ebantwini bayo, “Khangelani, abantu bako-Israyeli sebebanengi kakhulu kulathi.
10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass that, if war occur, they take side with our enemies and fight against us, and go up out of the land.
Asiboneni amacebo esingawenza ngabo funa bande kakhulu kuthi lapho kuqhamuka impi, babambane lezitha zethu, balwe lathi, besebesuka elizweni.”
11 And they set over them service-masters to oppress them with their burdens. And they built store-cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Rameses.
Ngakho babeka izinduna zezigqili ukuthi zibasebenzise kanzima, bakha iPhithomi leRamesesi aba ngamadolobho eziphala zikaFaro.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and spread; and they were distressed because of the children of Israel.
Kodwa kwathi ngokuhlutshwa kwabo ngamandla, labo banda kakhulu basabalala; okwenza amaGibhithe abesaba abako-Israyeli
13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with harshness;
asebasebenzisa ngochuku.
14 and they embittered their life with hard labour in clay and bricks, and in all manner of labour in the field: all their labour with which they made them serve was with harshness.
Enza impilo yabo yaba nzima kakhulu betshaya izitina lokuvoxa udaka besenza leminye yonke imisebenzi yemasimini. Kuyo yonke imisebenzi enzima amaGibhithe abasebenzisa ngochuku.
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 was Puah —
Inkosi yaseGibhithe yathi kubabelethisi bamaHebheru okwakuthiwa nguShifira loPhuwa,
16 and he said, When ye help the Hebrew women in bearing, and see [them] on the stool, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him, but if a daughter, then she shall live.
“Nxa libelethisa abafazi bamaHebheru, lingabona kuzelwe umfana kufanele limbulale; kodwa nxa kuyinkazana, liyiyekele iphile.”
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt had said to them, but saved the male children alive.
Kodwa ababelethisi babemesaba uNkulunkulu, ngakho abakwenzanga lokho ababekutshelwe yinkosi yaseGibhithe.
18 And the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, Why have ye done this, and saved the male children alive?
Sekube njalo, inkosi yaseGibhithe yababiza ababelethisi yathi kubo, “Kungani lenze lokhu? Kungani liyekele abafana baphila?”
19 And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian; for they are strong, and they have borne before the midwife comes to them.
Ababelethisi bamphendula uFaro bathi, “Abafazi bamaHebheru abafani labafazi bamaGibhithe; balamandla baphanga babelethe ababelethisi bengakafiki.”
20 And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong.
Ngakho uNkulunkulu waba lomusa kubo ababelethisi, abantu banda baba banengi kakhulu.
21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
Njalo njengoba ababelethisi bamesaba uNkulunkulu, wabapha ezabo izimuli.
22 Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, but every daughter ye shall save alive.
UFaro wasesipha abantu bakhe bonke umlayo othi: “Wonke umfana womHebheru ozalwayo kufanele aphoselwe emfuleni uNayili, kodwa wonke amankazana liwayekele aphile.”
