Kutoka 1
1 Haya ndiyo majina ya wana wa Israeli ambao walikwenda Misri na Yakobo, kila mmoja akiwa pamoja na jamaa yake:
Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt; every man and his family came with Jacob.
2 Reubeni, Simeoni, Lawi na Yuda;
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
3 Isakari, Zabuloni na Benyamini;
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
4 Dani na Naftali, Gadi na Asheri.
Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5 Wazao wote wa Yakobo walikuwa watu sabini; Yosefu alikuwa tayari yuko Misri.
All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons: and Joseph had come to Egypt before them.
6 Basi Yosefu na kaka zake wote na kizazi kile chote walikufa,
Then Joseph came to his end, and all his brothers, and all that generation.
7 lakini Waisraeli walikuwa wamezaana na kuongezeka sana, idadi yao ikawa kubwa mno, kwa hiyo wakaijaza nchi.
And the children of Israel were fertile, increasing very greatly in numbers and in power; and the land was full of them.
8 Kisha mfalme mpya ambaye hakufahamu habari za Yosefu akatawala Misri.
Now a new king came to power in Egypt, who had no knowledge of Joseph.
9 Akawaambia watu wake, “Tazameni, Waisraeli wamekuwa wengi mno kwa idadi kutuliko sisi.
And he said to his people, See, the people of Israel are greater in number and in power than we are:
10 Njooni, ni lazima tuwashughulikie kwa uangalifu, la sivyo watazidi kuwa wengi zaidi, na ikiwa patatokea vita, watajiunga na adui zetu kupigana dhidi yetu na kuondoka katika nchi hii.”
Let us take care for fear that their numbers may become even greater, and if there is a war, they may be joined with those who are against us, and make an attack on us, and go up out of the land.
11 Basi Wamisri wakaweka wasimamizi wa kuwasimamia na kuwatesa Waisraeli kwa kazi ngumu, nao wakajenga miji ya Pithomu na Ramesesi ya kuweka akiba ya Farao.
So they put overseers of forced work over them, in order to make their strength less by the weight of their work. And they made store-towns for Pharaoh, Pithom and Raamses.
12 Lakini walivyozidi kuteswa ndivyo walivyozidi kuongezeka na kuenea katika nchi; Wamisri wakawaogopa Waisraeli,
But the more cruel they were to them, the more their number increased, till all the land was full of them. And the children of Israel were hated by the Egyptians.
13 kwa hiyo wakawatumikisha kwa ukatili.
And they gave the children of Israel even harder work to do:
14 Wakafanya maisha ya Waisraeli kuwa machungu kwa kufanya kazi ngumu ya kutengeneza lami na kufyatua matofali, na kazi zote za mashambani; katika kazi zao zote ngumu, Wamisri waliwatumia Waisraeli kwa ukatili.
And made their lives bitter with hard work, making building-material and bricks, and doing all sorts of work in the fields under the hardest conditions.
15 Mfalme wa Misri akawaambia wakunga wa Kimisri waliowazalisha wanawake wa Kiebrania, ambao majina yao ni Shifra na Pua,
And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew women who gave help at the time of childbirth (the name of the one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah),
16 “Mtakapowazalisha wanawake wa Kiebrania, chunguzeni wanapojifungua. Ikiwa ni mtoto wa kiume, muueni, lakini ikiwa ni msichana, mwacheni aishi.”
When you are looking after the Hebrew women in childbirth, if it is a son you are to put him to death; but if it is a daughter, she may go on living.
17 Lakini hao wakunga walimcha Mungu na hawakufanya kile mfalme wa Misri alichowaambia kufanya, bali wakawaacha watoto wa kiume waishi.
But the women had the fear of God, and did not do as the king of Egypt said, but let the male children go on living.
18 Ndipo mfalme wa Misri akawaita hao wakunga, akawauliza, “Kwa nini mmefanya hivi? Mbona mmeacha watoto wa kiume waishi?”
And the king of Egypt sent for the women, and said to them, Why have you done this, and let the male children go on living?
19 Wakunga wakamjibu Farao, “Wanawake wa Kiebrania ni tofauti na wanawake wa Kimisri; wao wana nguvu, nao hujifungua watoto kabla wakunga hawajafika.”
And they said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are strong, and the birth takes place before we come to them.
20 Kwa hiyo Mungu akawatendea mema wakunga hao. Waisraeli wakaongezeka na kuendelea kuwa wengi zaidi.
And the blessing of God was on these women: and the people were increased in number and became very strong.
21 Kwa vile hao wakunga walimcha Mungu, Mungu akawajalia kuwa na jamaa zao wenyewe.
And because the women who took care of the Hebrew mothers had the fear of God, he gave them families.
22 Kisha Farao akatoa agizo hili kwa watu wake wote: “Kila mtoto wa kiume atakayezaliwa kwa Waebrania lazima atupwe katika Mto Naili, bali kila mtoto wa kike aachwe aishi.”
And Pharaoh gave orders to all his people, saying, Every son who comes to birth is to be put into the river, but every daughter may go on living.
