Exodus 1
1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt with Jacob, each 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 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
有呂便、西緬、利未、猶大、
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and 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 All the people who were descendants of Jacob were seventy in number. 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 Then Joseph, all his brothers, and all that generation died.
約瑟和他的弟兄，並那一代的人，都死了。
7 The Israelites were fruitful, increased greatly in numbers, and became very strong; the land was filled with them.
以色列人生養眾多，並且繁茂，極其強盛，滿了那地。
8 Now then a new king arose over Egypt, one who did not know about Joseph.
有不認識約瑟的新王起來，治理埃及，
9 He said to his people, “Look, the Israelites are more numerous and stronger than we are.
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 deal with them wisely, otherwise they will continue to grow in numbers, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave 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 So they put taskmasters over them to oppress them with hard labor. The Israelites built store cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Rameses.
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 the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites increased in numbers and spread. So the Egyptians began to dread the Israelites.
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 The Egyptians made the Israelites work rigorously.
埃及人嚴嚴地使以色列人做工，
14 They made their lives bitter with hard service with mortar and brick, and with all kinds of work in the fields. All their required work was hard.
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 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives; the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the other Puah.
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 He said, “When you assist the Hebrew women on the birthstool, observe when they give birth. If it is a son, then you must kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she may live.”
「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 ordered them; instead, they let the baby boys 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 The king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let 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 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They are vigorous and have finished giving birth before a midwife comes 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 God protected these midwives. The people increased in numbers and became very strong.
上帝厚待收生婆。以色列人多起來，極其強盛。
21 Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
收生婆因為敬畏上帝，上帝便叫她們成立家室。
22 Pharaoh ordered all his people, “You must throw every son that is born into the river, but every daughter you will let 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。」
