Ọpụpụ 1
1 Ndị a bụ aha ụmụ ndị ikom Izrel, ndị sooro Jekọb gaa biri nʼala Ijipt, onye ọbụla nʼime ha kpọ ezinaụlọ ya.
These were the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob) who came with him to Egypt along with their families:
2 Ruben, Simiọn, Livayị na Juda;
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
3 Isaka, Zebụlọn na Benjamin;
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
4 Dan, na Naftalị; Gad na Asha.
Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5 Ọnụọgụgụ ụmụ Jekọb ndị sooro ya gaa biri nʼIjipt dị iri mmadụ asaa. Ma Josef nọrịị nʼIjipt.
Jacob had 70 descendants there, including Joseph who was already in Egypt.
6 Emesịa, Josef na ụmụnne ya niile nwụrụ, ma ọgbọ ahụ niile nwụkwara.
Eventually Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died.
7 Ma ihe gaara ụmụ ụmụ Izrel nke ọma, ha mụbara, dị ukwuu nʼọnụọgụgụ, jupụta ala ahụ niile.
However, the Israelites had many children and their numbers increased rapidly. In fact there were so many of them that they became very powerful—the country was full of them.
8 Ma mgbe eze ọhụrụ nke na-amaghị Josef malitere ịchị ọchịchị nʼala Ijipt,
Then a new king came to power who didn't know anything about Joseph.
9 ọ sịrị ndị ya, “Lee, ndị Izrel abaala ụba nke ukwuu nʼọnụọgụgụ dịkwa ike karịa anyị.
He conferred with his fellow Egyptians and said, “Look at these Israelites—there are more than them than us, and they're more powerful than us.
10 Ngwanụ, ka anyị were amamihe meso ha mmeso ọjọọ, ma ọ bụghị otu a, ha ga-amụba karịa, mgbe agha ga-adapụta nʼetiti anyị na ndị iro anyị, ha ga-esoro ndị iro anyị lụso anyị agha, site nʼala a gbapụ.”
We've got to make plan to deal with them before they become so many that if there's a war they'll side with our enemies and fight us, and flee the country.”
11 Nʼihi nke a, ha tinyere ndịisi ohu ga na eledo ha, bụ ndị ga-eji ọrụ mmanye kpagbuo ha. Ha wuuru Fero obodo Payitọm na Ramesis, ebe ọ na-echekwa ihe.
So the Egyptians made them do forced labor and put taskmasters in charge of them. They used them to build the storage towns of Pithom and Rameses.
12 Ma dịka a na-ata ụmụ Izrel ahụhụ na-eleghị anya nʼazụ, otu a kwa ka ụmụ Izrel gara nʼihu na-amụba nʼọnụọgụgụ na-agbasakwa. Nke a mere ka ndị Ijipt tụọ ndị Izrel egwu.
But the more the Israelites were mistreated, the more they grew in numbers and spread out—and the more the Egyptians detested them.
13 Ha ji oke ọrụ mekpaa ụmụ Izrel ahụ nke ukwuu,
The Egyptians worked the Israelites brutally,
14 mee ka ndụ ụmụ Izrel bụrụ ndụ jupụtara nʼihe ilu. Ha nyere ha ọrụ ike nke ịkpụ brik na ụrọ, tinyere ọrụ dị iche iche nʼubi ha. Nʼime ọrụ niile ha na-arụ, ndị Ijipt mesiri ha ike nke ukwuu.
making their lives a misery. They made them do hard labor, building with mortar and brick, and all kind of heavy work in the fields. In all of this hard labor they treated them brutally.
15 Mgbe ahụ kwa, eze Ijipt gwara ndị inyom Hibru na-aghọ nwa, ndị aha ha bụ Shifra na Pua sị,
Then the king gave orders to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah.
16 “Mgbe ọbụla unu na-aghọ nwa ndị inyom Hibru, unu lezie anya nʼokwute e ji amụ nwa, ọ bụrụ nwoke, gbuonụ ya, ma ọ bụrụkwanụ nwanyị, hapụnụ ya ka ọ dịrị ndụ.”
He told them, “When you assist the Hebrew women during childbirth, if you see it's a boy, kill him; but if it's a girl, let her live.”
17 Ma ndị inyom ndị a na-aghọ nwa emeghị ihe eze Ijipt gwara ha, nʼihi na ha tụrụ egwu Chineke. Kama ha hapụrụ ụmụ ndị ikom ndị a ndụ.
But because the midwives revered God, they didn't do what the king of Egypt had ordered. They let the boys live as well.
18 Emesịa, eze Ijipt kpọrọ ndị inyom abụọ ahụ jụọ ha sị, “Gịnị mere unu ji nupu isi nʼiwu m nyere unu site nʼịhapụ igbu ụmụntakịrị ndị ikom Hibru a mụrụ, dịka m gwara unu?”
The king of Egypt called the midwives in and demanded to know, “Why have you done this— letting the male children live?”
19 Ndị inyom ahụ zara Fero sị, “Ndị inyom Hibru na-adị ike karịa ndị inyom Ijipt nʼịmụ nwa. Ha na-amụpụtacharị ụmụ ha tupu anyị erute.”
“Hebrew women aren't like Egyptian women,” the midwives told Pharaoh. “They give birth more easily—they have them before we midwives arrive.”
20 Ya mere, Chineke gọziri ndị inyom ndị ahụ na-aghọ nwa. Ụmụ Izrel gara nʼihu na-amụba, ghọọ mba dị ukwuu.
God treated the midwives well, and the people increased in number so there were even more of them.
21 Chineke nʼonwe ya, nyekwara ndị inyom ahụ na-aghọ nwa ezinaụlọ nke aka ha nʼihi na ha tụrụ egwu Chineke.
Because the midwives revered God, he gave them families of their own.
22 Mgbe ahụ, Fero nyere ndị ya niile iwu a, “A ga-atụnye ụmụntakịrị ndị ikom Hibru niile a mụrụ ọhụrụ nʼime osimiri Naịl, ma a ga-edebe ụmụntakịrị ọhụrụ bụ ndị inyom ndụ.”
Then Pharaoh issued this order to all his people: “Throw every Hebrew boy that's born into the Nile, but let every girl live.”
