Exodus 1
1 The sons of Jacob who went to Egypt with him along with their families were
以色列的众子，各带家眷，和雅各一同来到埃及。他们的名字记在下面。
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
有吕便、西缅、利未、犹大、
3 Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,
以萨迦、西布伦、便雅悯、
4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
但、拿弗他利、迦得、亚设。
5 Altogether there were 70 people [who went with] Jacob. That included his [sons, his grandsons, and two great-grandsons]. [His son] Joseph was already in Egypt.
凡从雅各而生的，共有七十人。约瑟已经在埃及。
6 [Eventually] Joseph and his [older and younger] brothers and everyone [else in their family who lived] (in that generation/at that time) died.
约瑟和他的弟兄，并那一代的人，都死了。
7 But Jacob’s descendants kept giving birth to many children [IDM]. The number [of his descendants] kept becoming larger and larger. As a result, there were so many of them that they were everywhere in Egypt (OR, that they [became a threat] to the Egyptians).
以色列人生养众多，并且繁茂，极其强盛，满了那地。
8 Then [several hundred years later], a new king began to rule [MTY] in Egypt. He did not know [what] Joseph [had done for the people of Egypt long ago].
有不认识约瑟的新王起来，治理埃及，
9 He said to his people, “Look [at what has happened]! The Israeli people have become so numerous and so powerful that they [now might conquer] us!
对他的百姓说：“看哪，这以色列民比我们还多，又比我们强盛。
10 We must find a way to control them! If we do not do that, their population will continue to grow. Then, if enemies [PRS] attack us, they will join with our enemies and fight against us, and they will escape from [our] land.”
来吧，我们不如用巧计待他们，恐怕他们多起来，日后若遇什么争战的事，就连合我们的仇敌攻击我们，离开这地去了。”
11 So [the king and his officials] put supervisors over the Israeli people to cause them to suffer very much by [forcing them] to work very hard. They forced [the Israeli people to] build [two] cities, Pithom and Ramses, in which to store [supplies for the king/government].
于是埃及人派督工的辖制他们，加重担苦害他们。他们为法老建造两座积货城，就是比东和兰塞。
12 But the more cruelly they treated the [Israeli people], the bigger the Israeli [population] grew, and they became more numerous all over [the land]. So the Egyptian people began to be afraid of the Israeli people.
只是越发苦害他们，他们越发多起来，越发蔓延；埃及人就因以色列人愁烦。
13 They forced the Israeli people to work very hard,
埃及人严严地使以色列人做工，
14 and by making them slaves, they made their lives miserable. They [forced them] to [build many buildings with] mortar and bricks. [They also forced them to do] other work in the fields. [In making them do all this work, the Egyptian officials treated them] ruthlessly/cruelly.
使他们因做苦工觉得命苦；无论是和泥，是做砖，是做田间各样的工，在一切的工上都严严地待他们。
15 There were two Hebrew (midwives/women who helped the women when they were giving birth). [Hebrew means the same as Israeli.] The names of the women were Shiphrah and Puah. The king of Egypt said to [those two women],
有希伯来的两个收生婆，一名施弗拉，一名普阿；埃及王对她们说：
16 “When you help the Hebrew women when they are giving birth [MTY], if [the baby that is born] is a boy, you must kill it. If [the baby] is a girl, you (may let it live/do not have to kill them).”
“你们为希伯来妇人收生，看她们临盆的时候，若是男孩，就把他杀了；若是女孩，就留她存活。”
17 But the midwives feared/revered God. So they did not do what the king told them to do. They allowed the baby boys to live.
但是收生婆敬畏 神，不照埃及王的吩咐行，竟存留男孩的性命。
18 So the king summoned the [two] midwives and said to them, “Why are you doing this? Why are you letting the baby boys live?”
埃及王召了收生婆来，说：“你们为什么做这事，存留男孩的性命呢？”
19 [One of] the midwives replied to the king, “[You need to realize that] the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. The Hebrew women are very strong/healthy. They give birth [to their babies] before we can get to them [to help them].”
收生婆对法老说：“因为希伯来妇人与埃及妇人不同；希伯来妇人本是健壮的，收生婆还没有到，她们已经生产了。”
20 So God acted kindly toward the midwives, and the [Hebrew] people became even more numerous and strong.
神厚待收生婆。以色列人多起来，极其强盛。
21 Furthermore, because the midwives feared/revered God, he enabled them also to give birth to children.
收生婆因为敬畏 神， 神便叫她们成立家室。
22 Then the king commanded all (the [Egyptian] people/his [advisors]): “You must throw into the Nile [River] every baby boy born that the [Hebrew women] give birth to! But you can allow the baby girls to live.”
法老吩咐他的众民说：“以色列人所生的男孩，你们都要丢在河里；一切的女孩，你们要存留她的性命。”
