< 出エジプト記 1 >
1 イスラエルの子等のエジプトに至りし者の名は左のごとし衆人各その家族をたづさへてヤコブとともに至れり
These are the names of the sons of Israel, who went into Egypt with Jacob. They entered, each one with his house:
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5 ヤコブの腰より出たる者は都合七十人ヨセフはすでにエジプトにありき
Therefore, all the souls of those who went forth from Jacob’s thigh were seventy. Now Joseph was in Egypt.
When he had died, along with all of his brothers and all of that generation,
7 イスラエルの子孫饒く子を生み彌増殖え甚だしく大に強くなりて國に滿るにいたれり
the sons of Israel increased, and they multiplied like seedlings. And having been strengthened exceedingly, they filled the land.
8 茲にヨセフの事をしらざる新き王エジプトに起りしが
Meanwhile, there arose a new king over Egypt, who was ignorant of Joseph.
9 彼その民にいひけるは視よ此民イスラエルの子孫われらよりも多く且強し
And he said to his people: “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are many, and they are stronger than we are.
10 來れわれら機巧く彼等に事をなさん恐くは彼等多ならん又戰爭の起ることある時は彼等敵にくみして我等と戰ひ遂に國よりいでさらんと
Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply; and if any war should advance against us, they may be added to our enemies, and having fought against us, they might depart from the land.”
11 すなはち督者をかれらの上に立て彼らに重荷をおはせて之を苦む彼等パロのために府庫の邑ピトムとラメセスを建たり
And so he set over them masters of the works, in order to afflict them with burdens. And they built for Pharaoh the cities of the tabernacles: Pithom and Raamses.
12 然るにイスラエルの子孫は苦むるに隨ひて増し殖たれば皆これを懼れたり
And the more they oppressed them, so much more did they multiply and increase.
And the Egyptians hated the sons of Israel, and they afflicted them and mocked them.
14 辛き力役をもて彼等をして苦みて生を度らしむ即ち和泥、作甎および田圃の諸の工にはたらかしめけるが其働かしめし工作は皆嚴かりき
And they led their life directly into bitterness, with hard work in clay and brick, and with all kinds of servitude, so that they were being overwhelmed with the works of the land.
15 エジプトの王又ヘブルの產婆シフラと名くる者とブワと名くる者の二人に諭して
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews, (one of whom one was called Shiphrah, another Puah)
16 いひけるは汝等ヘブルの婦女のために收生をなす時は床の上を見てその子若男子ならばこれを殺せ女子ならば生しおくべしと
instructing them: “When you will act as a midwife to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery has arrived: if it is male, put it to death; if it is female, retain it.”
17 然に產婆神を畏れエジプト王の命ぜしごとく爲ずして男子をも生しおけり
But the midwives feared God, and so they did not act according to the precept of the king of Egypt, but they kept the males safe.
18 エジプト王產婆を召て之にいひけるは汝等なんぞ此事をなし男子を生しおくや
And summoning them, the king said, “What did you intend to do, so that you would save the boys?”
19 產婆パロに言けるはヘブルの婦はエジプトの婦のごとくならず彼等は健して產婆のかれらに至らぬ前に產をはるなりと
They responded: “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. For they themselves have the wisdom of a midwife, and so they give birth before we can come to them.”
20 是によりて神その產婆等に恩をほどこしたまへり是において民増ゆきて甚だ強くなりぬ
Therefore, God acted favorably toward the midwives. And the people increased, and they were strengthened exceedingly.
21 產婆神を畏れたるによりて神かれらのために家を成たまへり
And because the midwives feared God, he built houses for them.
22 斯有しかばパロその凡の民に命じていふ男子の生るあらば汝等これを悉く河に投いれよ女子は皆生しおくべし
Therefore, Pharaoh instructed all his people, saying: “Whatever will be born of the male sex, cast it into the river; whatever will be born of the female sex, retain it.”