Exodus 1
1 These are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in, every man with his household:
以色列的眾子，各帶家眷，和雅各一同來到埃及。他們的名字記在下面。
2 Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda,
有呂便、西緬、利未、猶大、
3 Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,
以薩迦、西布倫、便雅憫、
4 Dan, and Nephtali, Gad and Aser.
但、拿弗他利、迦得、亞設。
5 And all the souls that came out of Jacob’s thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt.
凡從雅各而生的，共有七十人。約瑟已經在埃及。
6 After he was dead, and all his brethren, and all that generation,
約瑟和他的弟兄，並那一代的人，都死了。
7 The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes, and growing exceedingly strong they filled the land.
以色列人生養眾多，並且繁茂，極其強盛，滿了那地。
8 In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not Joseph:
有不認識約瑟的新王起來，治理埃及，
9 And he said to his people: Behold the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we.
對他的百姓說：「看哪，這以色列民比我們還多，又比我們強盛。
10 Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply: and if any war shall rise against us, join with our enemies, and having overcome us, depart out of the land.
來吧，我們不如用巧計待他們，恐怕他們多起來，日後若遇甚麼爭戰的事，就連合我們的仇敵攻擊我們，離開這地去了。」
11 Therefore he set over them masters of the works, to afflict them with burdens, and they built for Pharao cities of tabernacles, Phithom and Ramesses.
於是埃及人派督工的轄制他們，加重擔苦害他們。他們為法老建造兩座積貨城，就是比東和蘭塞。
12 But the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied, and increased:
只是越發苦害他們，他們越發多起來，越發蔓延；埃及人就因以色列人愁煩。
13 And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them:
埃及人嚴嚴地使以色列人做工，
14 And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth.
使他們因做苦工覺得命苦；無論是和泥，是做磚，是做田間各樣的工，在一切的工上都嚴嚴地待他們。
15 And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua,
有希伯來的兩個收生婆，一名施弗拉，一名普阿；埃及王對她們說：
16 Commanding them: When you shall do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery is come: if it be a man child, kill it: if a woman, keep it alive.
「你們為希伯來婦人收生，看她們臨盆的時候，若是男孩，就把他殺了；若是女孩，就留她存活。」
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children.
但是收生婆敬畏上帝，不照埃及王的吩咐行，竟存留男孩的性命。
18 And the king called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men children?
埃及王召了收生婆來，說：「你們為甚麼做這事，存留男孩的性命呢？」
19 They answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves are skillful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we come to them.
收生婆對法老說：「因為希伯來婦人與埃及婦人不同；希伯來婦人本是健壯的，收生婆還沒有到，她們已經生產了。」
20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong.
上帝厚待收生婆。以色列人多起來，極其強盛。
21 And because the midwives feared God, he built them houses.
收生婆因為敬畏上帝，上帝便叫她們成立家室。
22 Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive.
法老吩咐他的眾民說：「以色列人所生的男孩，你們都要丟在河裏；一切的女孩，你們要存留她的性命。」
