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 came into Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:
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, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 Erant igitur omnes animæ eorum qui egressi sunt de femore Jacob, septuaginta: Joseph autem in Ægypto erat.
All the people who were descendants of Jacob were seventy in number. Joseph was already in Egypt.
6 Quo mortuo, et universis fratribus ejus, omnique cognatione illa,
Then Joseph, all his brothers, and all that generation died.
7 filii Israël creverunt, et quasi germinantes multiplicati sunt: ac roborati nimis, impleverunt terram.
The Israelites were fruitful, increased greatly in numbers, and became very strong; the land was filled with them.
8 Surrexit interea rex novus super Ægyptum, qui ignorabat Joseph.
Now then a new king arose over Egypt, one who did not know about Joseph.
9 Et ait ad populum suum: Ecce, populus filiorum Israël multus, et fortior nobis est.
He said to his people, “Look, the Israelites are more numerous and stronger than we are.
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 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.”
11 Præposuit itaque eis magistros operum, ut affligerent eos oneribus: ædificaveruntque urbes tabernaculorum Pharaoni, Phithom et Ramesses.
So they put taskmasters over them to oppress them with hard labor. The Israelites built store cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Rameses.
12 Quantoque opprimebant eos, tanto magis multiplicabantur, et crescebant:
But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites increased in numbers and spread. So the Egyptians began to dread the Israelites.
13 oderantque filios Israël Ægyptii, et affligebant illudentes eis,
The Egyptians made the Israelites work rigorously.
14 atque ad amaritudinem perducebant vitam eorum operibus duris luti et lateris, omnique famulatu, quo in terræ operibus premebantur.
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.
15 Dixit autem rex Ægypti obstetricibus Hebræorum, quarum una vocabatur Sephora, altera Phua,
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives; the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the other Puah.
16 præcipiens eis: Quando obstetricabitis Hebræas, et partus tempus advenerit: si masculus fuerit, interficite eum: si femina, reservate.
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.”
17 Timuerunt autem obstetrices Deum, et non fecerunt juxta præceptum regis Ægypti, sed conservabant mares.
But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt ordered them; instead, they let the baby boys live.
18 Quibus ad se accersitis, rex ait: Quidnam est hoc quod facere voluistis, ut pueros servaretis?
The king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the baby 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. They are vigorous and have finished giving birth before a midwife comes to them.”
20 Bene ergo fecit Deus obstetricibus: et crevit populus, confortatusque est nimis.
God protected these midwives. The people increased in numbers and became very strong.
21 Et quia timuerunt obstetrices Deum, ædificavit eis domos.
Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
22 Præcepit ergo Pharao omni populo suo, dicens: Quidquid masculini sexus natum fuerit, in flumen projicite: quidquid feminini, reservate.
Pharaoh ordered all his people, “You must throw every son that is born into the river, but every daughter you will let live.”
