Exodus 1

1 Hæc sunt nomina filiorum Israël qui ingressi sunt in Ægyptum cum Jacob: singuli cum domibus suis introierunt:

These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:

2 Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judas,

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

3 Issachar, Zabulon et Benjamin,

Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

4 Dan et Nephthali, Gad et Aser.

Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.

5 Erant igitur omnes animæ eorum qui egressi sunt de femore Jacob, septuaginta: Joseph autem in Ægypto erat.

The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all, including Joseph, who was already in Egypt.

6 Quo mortuo, et universis fratribus ejus, omnique cognatione illa,

Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,

7 filii Israël creverunt, et quasi germinantes multiplicati sunt: ac roborati nimis, impleverunt terram.

but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.

8 Surrexit interea rex novus super Ægyptum, qui ignorabat Joseph.

Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt.

9 Et ait ad populum suum: Ecce, populus filiorum Israël multus, et fortior nobis est.

“Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.

10 Venite, sapienter opprimamus eum, ne forte multiplicetur: et si ingruerit contra nos bellum, addatur inimicis nostris, expugnatisque nobis egrediatur de terra.

Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”

11 Præposuit itaque eis magistros operum, ut affligerent eos oneribus: ædificaveruntque urbes tabernaculorum Pharaoni, Phithom et Ramesses.

So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

12 Quantoque opprimebant eos, tanto magis multiplicabantur, et crescebant:

But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.

13 oderantque filios Israël Ægyptii, et affligebant illudentes eis,

They worked the Israelites ruthlessly

14 atque ad amaritudinem perducebant vitam eorum operibus duris luti et lateris, omnique famulatu, quo in terræ operibus premebantur.

and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.

15 Dixit autem rex Ægypti obstetricibus Hebræorum, quarum una vocabatur Sephora, altera Phua,

Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,

16 præcipiens eis: Quando obstetricabitis Hebræas, et partus tempus advenerit: si masculus fuerit, interficite eum: si femina, reservate.

“When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.”

17 Timuerunt autem obstetrices Deum, et non fecerunt juxta præceptum regis Ægypti, sed conservabant mares.

The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.

18 Quibus ad se accersitis, rex ait: Quidnam est hoc quod facere voluistis, ut pueros servaretis?

So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

19 Quæ responderunt: Non sunt Hebreæ sicut ægyptiæ mulieres: ipsæ enim obstetricandi habent scientiam, et priusquam veniamus ad eas, pariunt.

The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives.”

20 Bene ergo fecit Deus obstetricibus: et crevit populus, confortatusque est nimis.

So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became even more numerous.

21 Et quia timuerunt obstetrices Deum, ædificavit eis domos.

And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.

22 Præcepit ergo Pharao omni populo suo, dicens: Quidquid masculini sexus natum fuerit, in flumen projicite: quidquid feminini, reservate.

Then Pharaoh commanded all his people: “Every son born to the Hebrews you must throw into the Nile, but every daughter you may allow to live.”