Exodus 1
1 The sons of Jacob who went to Egypt with him along with their families were
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 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
有呂便、西緬、利未、猶大、
3 Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,
以薩迦、西布倫、便雅憫、
4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
但、拿弗他利、迦得、亞設。
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.
凡從雅各而生的，共有七十人。約瑟已經在埃及。
6 [Eventually] Joseph and his [older and younger] brothers and everyone [else in their family who lived] (in that generation/at that time) died.
約瑟和他的弟兄，並那一代的人，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).
以色列人生養眾多，並且繁茂，極其強盛，滿了那地。
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].
有不認識約瑟的新王起來，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!
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 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.”
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 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].
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 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 They forced the Israeli people to work very hard,
埃及人嚴嚴地使以色列人做工，
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 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],
有希伯來的兩個收生婆，一名施弗拉，一名普阿；埃及王對她們說：
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/revered God. So they did not do what the king told them to do. They allowed the baby boys to live.
但是收生婆敬畏上帝，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?”
埃及王召了收生婆來，說：「你們為甚麼做這事，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 So God acted kindly toward the midwives, and the [Hebrew] people became even more numerous and strong.
上帝厚待收生婆。以色列人多起來，極其強盛。
21 Furthermore, because the midwives feared/revered God, he enabled them also to give birth to children.
收生婆因為敬畏上帝，上帝便叫她們成立家室。
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。」
