U-Eksodusi 1
1 La ngamabizo amadodana ka-Israyeli aya eGibhithe loJakhobe, munye ngamunye lemuli yakhe:
Now these [are] the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.
2 uRubheni, uSimiyoni, uLevi loJuda;
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3 u-Isakhari, uZebhuluni loBhenjamini,
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 uDani loNafithali; uGadi lo-Asheri.
Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 Inzalo yonke kaJakhobe yayingamatshumi ayisikhombisa. UJosefa wayevele eseseGibhithe.
And all the souls that descended from Jacob, were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt [already].
6 Kwathi uJosefa labo bonke abafowabo kanye lasosonke lesosizukulwane sebefile,
And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.
7 abako-Israyeli bazalana banda kakhulu, okokuthi ilizwe lonke lagcwala ngabo.
And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and became exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8 Kwasekusiba lenye inkosi eyayingazi lutho ngoJosefa, yaba ngumbusi eGibhithe.
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.
9 Yathi ebantwini bayo, “Khangelani, abantu bako-Israyeli sebebanengi kakhulu kulathi.
And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel [are] more and mightier than we.
10 Asiboneni amacebo esingawenza ngabo funa bande kakhulu kuthi lapho kuqhamuka impi, babambane lezitha zethu, balwe lathi, besebesuka elizweni.”
Come, let us deal wisely with them: lest they multiply, and it shall come to pass, that when there falleth out any war, they will join with our enemies, and fight against us, and depart from the land.
11 Ngakho babeka izinduna zezigqili ukuthi zibasebenzise kanzima, bakha iPhithomi leRamesesi aba ngamadolobho eziphala zikaFaro.
Therefore they set over them task-masters, to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure-cities, Pithom, and Raamses.
12 Kodwa kwathi ngokuhlutshwa kwabo ngamandla, labo banda kakhulu basabalala; okwenza amaGibhithe abesaba abako-Israyeli
But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
13 asebasebenzisa ngochuku.
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor.
14 Enza impilo yabo yaba nzima kakhulu betshaya izitina lokuvoxa udaka besenza leminye yonke imisebenzi yemasimini. Kuyo yonke imisebenzi enzima amaGibhithe abasebenzisa ngochuku.
And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service in which they made them serve, [was] with rigor.
15 Inkosi yaseGibhithe yathi kubabelethisi bamaHebheru okwakuthiwa nguShifira loPhuwa,
And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives (of which the name of one [was] Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: )
16 “Nxa libelethisa abafazi bamaHebheru, lingabona kuzelwe umfana kufanele limbulale; kodwa nxa kuyinkazana, liyiyekele iphile.”
And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see [them] upon the stools; if it [shall be] a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it [shall be] a daughter, then she shall live.
17 Kodwa ababelethisi babemesaba uNkulunkulu, ngakho abakwenzanga lokho ababekutshelwe yinkosi yaseGibhithe.
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male-children alive.
18 Sekube njalo, inkosi yaseGibhithe yababiza ababelethisi yathi kubo, “Kungani lenze lokhu? Kungani liyekele abafana baphila?”
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the male-children alive?
19 Ababelethisi bamphendula uFaro bathi, “Abafazi bamaHebheru abafani labafazi bamaGibhithe; balamandla baphanga babelethe ababelethisi bengakafiki.”
And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women [are] not as the Egyptian women: for they [are] lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in to them.
20 Ngakho uNkulunkulu waba lomusa kubo ababelethisi, abantu banda baba banengi kakhulu.
Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and became very mighty.
21 Njalo njengoba ababelethisi bamesaba uNkulunkulu, wabapha ezabo izimuli.
And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
22 UFaro wasesipha abantu bakhe bonke umlayo othi: “Wonke umfana womHebheru ozalwayo kufanele aphoselwe emfuleni uNayili, kodwa wonke amankazana liwayekele aphile.”
And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
