< Exodus 1 >
1 NOW THESE are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob; every man came with his household:
Haya ndiyo majina ya wana wa Israeli waliokuja Misri pamoja na Yakobo kila moja na familia yake:
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
Rubeni, Simioni, Lawi, na Yuda,
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
Isakari, Zebuluni, na Benjamini,
4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
Dani, Naftali, Gadi, na Asheri.
5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt already.
Jumla ya watu wa ukoo wa Yakobo walikuwa sabini. Yusufu alikuwa Misri tayari.
6 And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.
Ndipo Yusufu, pamoja na kaka zake wote, na kizazi chote wakafa.
7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
Waisraeli walifanikiwa sana, wakaongezeka sana idadi yao, na wakawa na nguvu maana nchi ilijazwa na wao.
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.
Wakati huu sasa mfalme mpya asiyemjua Yusufu aliinuka katika Misri.
9 And he said unto his people: 'Behold, the people of the children of Israel are too many and too mighty for us;
Akawaambia watu wake, “Tazama, hawa Waisraeli ni wengi na wenye nguvu kuliko sisi.
10 come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there befalleth us any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.'
Njooni na tukae nao kwa akili, ama sivyo wataendelea kuongezeka na kama vita ikiibuka, wataungana na adui zetu, watapigana nasi, na kisha wataondoka.”
11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses.
Hivyo wakawekea walinzi ambao waliwatesa kwa kuwatumikisha kazi ngumu. Waisraeli walijenga maghala ya miji kwa ajili ya Farao: Pishoni na Ramsei.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were adread because of the children of Israel.
Lakini kadiri Wamisri walivyowatesa, ndivyo Waisraeli waliendelea kuongezeka na kusambaa. Hivyo Wamisri wakaanza kuwaogopa Waisraeli.
13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour.
Wamisri waliwafanya Waisraeli wafanye kazi kwa nguvu nyingi.
14 And they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field; in all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigour.
Waliyafanya maisha yao kuwa machungu kwa kuwafanyisha kazi ngumu kwa vinu na matofali na kwa kila aina ya kazi za shambani. Kazi zao zote zilikuwa ngumu.
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;
Kisha mfalme wa Misri akawaambia wakunga wa Kiebrania; mmoja wao aliitwa jina lake Shifra, na mwingine aliitwa Puha.
16 and he said: 'When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, ye shall look upon the birthstool: if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.'
Akasema, “Wakati mnapowasaidia wanawake wa Kiebrania wanapojifungua, chunguzeni wanapozaa. Ikiwa ni mtoto wa kiume, basi muueni; bali ikiwa ni mtoto wa kike, basi mwacheni aishi.”
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men-children alive.
Lakini wale Wakunga walimwogopa Mungu na hawakufanya kama mfalme wa Misri alivyowaagiza; badala yake waliwaacha watoto wa kiume waishi.
18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them: 'Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?'
Mfalme wa Misri akawaita Wakunga na kuwaambia, “Kwanini mmefanya haya, na kuwaacha watoto wa kiume wakaishi?”
19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh: 'Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwife come unto them.'
Wale Wakunga wakamjibu Farao, “Hawa wanawake wa Kiebrania siyo kama wanawake wa Kimisri. Hawa wana nguvu na jasiri sana maana wao humaliza kuzaa kabla hata mkunga hajafika.”
20 And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
Mungu aliwalinda hawa Wakunga. Watu waliongezeka kwa idadi na kuwa na nguvu sana.
21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses.
Kwa sababu wale Wakunga walimwogopa Mungu, aliwapa familia.
22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying: 'Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.'
Farao akawaagiza watu wote, “Lazima mmutupe kila mtoto wa kiume anayezaliwa katika mto, lakini kila mtoto wa kike wamwache aishi.”