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.
The sons of Jacob who went to Egypt with him along with their families were
2 Ruben, Simiọn, Livayị na Juda;
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
3 Isaka, Zebụlọn na Benjamin;
Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,
4 Dan, na Naftalị; Gad na Asha.
Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 Ọnụọgụgụ ụmụ Jekọb ndị sooro ya gaa biri nʼIjipt dị iri mmadụ asaa. Ma Josef nọrịị nʼIjipt.
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.
6 Emesịa, Josef na ụmụnne ya niile nwụrụ, ma ọgbọ ahụ niile nwụkwara.
[Eventually] Joseph and his [older and younger] brothers and everyone [else in their family who lived] (in that generation/at that time) died.
7 Ma ihe gaara ụmụ ụmụ Izrel nke ọma, ha mụbara, dị ukwuu nʼọnụọgụgụ, jupụta ala ahụ niile.
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).
8 Ma mgbe eze ọhụrụ nke na-amaghị Josef malitere ịchị ọchịchị nʼala Ijipt,
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].
9 ọ sịrị ndị ya, “Lee, ndị Izrel abaala ụba nke ukwuu nʼọnụọgụgụ dịkwa ike karịa anyị.
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!
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 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.”
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 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].
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 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.
13 Ha ji oke ọrụ mekpaa ụmụ Izrel ahụ nke ukwuu,
They forced the Israeli people to work very hard,
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.
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.
15 Mgbe ahụ kwa, eze Ijipt gwara ndị inyom Hibru na-aghọ nwa, ndị aha ha bụ Shifra na Pua sị,
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],
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.”
“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).”
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 the midwives feared/revered God. So they did not do what the king told them to do. They allowed the baby boys to live.
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?”
So the king summoned the [two] midwives and said to them, “Why are you doing this? Why are you letting the baby boys 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.”
[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].”
20 Ya mere, Chineke gọziri ndị inyom ndị ahụ na-aghọ nwa. Ụmụ Izrel gara nʼihu na-amụba, ghọọ mba dị ukwuu.
So God acted kindly toward the midwives, and the [Hebrew] people became even more numerous and strong.
21 Chineke nʼonwe ya, nyekwara ndị inyom ahụ na-aghọ nwa ezinaụlọ nke aka ha nʼihi na ha tụrụ egwu Chineke.
Furthermore, because the midwives feared/revered God, he enabled them also to give birth to children.
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 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.”
