< Okuva 1 >
1 Gano ge mannya ga batabani ba Isirayiri, era ye Yakobo, abajja naye mu Misiri; buli omu n’ab’omu nnyumba ye:
The sons of Jacob who went to Egypt with him along with their families were
2 Lewubeeni, ne Simyoni, ne Leevi ne Yuda,
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
3 ne Isakaali, ne Zebbulooni, ne Benyamini,
Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,
4 ne Ddaani, ne Nafutaali, ne Gaadi, ne Aseri.
Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 Abaana bonna awamu Yakobo yennyini be yazaala baali bawera nsanvu; Yusufu ye, yali yabeera dda mu Misiri.
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 Awo Yusufu n’afa; ne baganda be ne bonna ab’omulembe ogwo ne bafa.
[Eventually] Joseph and his [older and younger] brothers and everyone [else in their family who lived] (in that generation/at that time) died.
7 Naye Abayisirayiri ne bazaala nnyo, ne baala, ne bayitirira obungi, era ne baba ba maanyi nnyo; ne bajjula ekitundu ekyo mwe baali.
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 Awo ne waddawo kabaka omuggya mu Misiri ataamanya Yusufu.
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 N’agamba abantu be nti, “Abayisirayiri batuyitiriddeko obungi era ba maanyi.
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 Ka tubasalire amagezi baleme kweyongera bungi. Kubanga singa wagwawo olutalo ne beegatta n’abalabe baffe, ne batulwanyisa, balituddukako ne bava mu nsi eno.”
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 Bwe batyo ne babateekako bannampala bababonyeebonye n’emirimu egy’obuwaze; ne bazimbira Falaawo ebibuga eby’amaterekero, Pisomu ne Lamusesi.
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 Naye gye baakoma okutuntuzibwa, ate gye baakoma okweyongera obungi, ne basaasaana wonna. Abamisiri ne bakyawa abaana ba Isirayiri ate nga bwe babatya.
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 Ne bongera okutuntuza abaana ba Isirayiri n’obukambwe.
They forced the Israeli people to work very hard,
14 Obulamu bw’Abayisirayiri ne bubakaayirira nga bakozesebwa ng’abaddu; nga batabula ebbumba okukola amatoffaali; n’emirimu egya buli ngeri egikolebwa mu nnimiro. Mu mirimu egyo gyonna baabakozesanga n’amaanyi era n’obukambwe.
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 Awo kabaka w’e Misiri n’ayogera n’abazaalisa b’Abaebbulaniya, amannya gaabwe Sifira ne Puwa, n’abagamba nti,
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 “Bwe mubanga muzaalisa abakazi Abaebbulaniya, ne mulaba ng’omwana wabulenzi, mumuttanga bussi, naye bw’abanga owoobuwala, mumulekanga n’alama.”
“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 Naye abazaalisa baali batya Katonda, nga bamussaamu ekitiibwa, ebyo kabaka w’e Misiri bye yabalagira ne batabikolerako, n’abaana abalenzi nabo ne babaleka ne balama.
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 Kabaka w’e Misiri n’ayita abazaalisa, n’ababuuza nti, “Kiki ekibakozesezza bwe mutyo, okuleka abaana abalenzi ne balama?”
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 Abazaalisa, ne baddamu Falaawo nti, “Abakazi Abaebbulaniya tebali ng’abakazi Abamisiri; bo balamu bulungi era ba maanyi; abazaalisa we bagendera okubatuukako nga bamaze okuzaala.”
[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 Katonda, n’ayisanga bulungi abazaalisa n’abawa emikisa. Abaana ba Isirayiri ne beeyongera nnyo obungi era ne baba ba maanyi nnyo.
So God acted kindly toward the midwives, and the [Hebrew] people became even more numerous and strong.
21 Olwokubanga abazaalisa bassangamu Katonda ekitiibwa, nga bamutya, n’abawa ezzadde.
Furthermore, because the midwives feared/revered God, he enabled them also to give birth to children.
22 Falaawo n’alyoka alagira abantu be bonna nti, “Buli mwana wabulenzi Abaebbulaniya gwe banaazaalanga mumusuulanga mu mugga Kiyira, naye owoobuwala mumulekanga.”
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.”