Exodus 1
1 Haec sunt nomina filiorum Israel qui ingressi sunt in Aegyptum cum Iacob: 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, Iudas,
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3 Issachar, Zabulon et Beniamin,
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 Dan, et Nephthali, Gad, et Aser.
Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 Erant igitur omnes animae eorum qui egressi sunt de femore Iacob, septuaginta: Ioseph autem in Aegypto erat.
All the people who were descendants of Jacob were seventy in number. Joseph was already in Egypt.
6 Quo mortuo, et universis fratribus eius, omnique cognatione sua,
Then Joseph, all his brothers, and all that generation died.
7 filii Israel 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 Aegyptum, qui ignorabat Ioseph:
Now then a new king arose over Egypt, one who did not know about Joseph.
9 et ait ad populum suum: Ecce, populus filiorum Israel 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 Praeposuit itaque eis magistros operum, ut affligerent eos oneribus: aedificaveruntque 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 Israel Aegyptii, 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 terrae 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 Aegypti obstetricibus Hebraeorum: 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 praecipiens eis: Quando obstetricabitis Hebraeas, 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 iuxta praeceptum regis Aegypti, 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 accersitis ad se, 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 Quae responderunt: Non sunt Hebreae sicut Aegyptiae mulieres: ipsae 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, aedificavit eis domos.
Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
22 Praecepit ergo Pharao omni populo suo, dicens: Quidquid masculini sexus natum fuerit, in flumen proiicite: 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.”
