Kutoka 1
1 Haya ndiyo majina ya wana wa Israeli ambao walikwenda Misri na Yakobo, kila mmoja akiwa pamoja na jamaa yake:
The sons of Jacob who went to Egypt with him along with their families were
2 Reubeni, Simeoni, Lawi na Yuda;
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
3 Isakari, Zabuloni na Benyamini;
Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,
4 Dani na Naftali, Gadi na Asheri.
Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 Wazao wote wa Yakobo walikuwa watu sabini; Yosefu alikuwa tayari yuko Misri.
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 Basi Yosefu na kaka zake wote na kizazi kile chote walikufa,
[Eventually] Joseph and his [older and younger] brothers and everyone [else in their family who lived] (in that generation/at that time) died.
7 lakini Waisraeli walikuwa wamezaana na kuongezeka sana, idadi yao ikawa kubwa mno, kwa hiyo wakaijaza nchi.
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 Kisha mfalme mpya ambaye hakufahamu habari za Yosefu akatawala Misri.
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 Akawaambia watu wake, “Tazameni, Waisraeli wamekuwa wengi mno kwa idadi kutuliko sisi.
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 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.”
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 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 [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 Lakini walivyozidi kuteswa ndivyo walivyozidi kuongezeka na kuenea katika nchi; Wamisri wakawaogopa Waisraeli,
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 kwa hiyo wakawatumikisha kwa ukatili.
They forced the Israeli people to work very hard,
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 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 Mfalme wa Misri akawaambia wakunga wa Kimisri waliowazalisha wanawake wa Kiebrania, ambao majina yao ni Shifra na Pua,
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 “Mtakapowazalisha wanawake wa Kiebrania, chunguzeni wanapojifungua. Ikiwa ni mtoto wa kiume, muueni, lakini ikiwa ni msichana, mwacheni aishi.”
“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 Lakini hao wakunga walimcha Mungu na hawakufanya kile mfalme wa Misri alichowaambia kufanya, bali wakawaacha watoto wa kiume waishi.
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 Ndipo mfalme wa Misri akawaita hao wakunga, akawauliza, “Kwa nini mmefanya hivi? Mbona mmeacha watoto wa kiume waishi?”
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 Wakunga wakamjibu Farao, “Wanawake wa Kiebrania ni tofauti na wanawake wa Kimisri; wao wana nguvu, nao hujifungua watoto kabla wakunga hawajafika.”
[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 Kwa hiyo Mungu akawatendea mema wakunga hao. Waisraeli wakaongezeka na kuendelea kuwa wengi zaidi.
So God acted kindly toward the midwives, and the [Hebrew] people became even more numerous and strong.
21 Kwa vile hao wakunga walimcha Mungu, Mungu akawajalia kuwa na jamaa zao wenyewe.
Furthermore, because the midwives feared/revered God, he enabled them also to give birth to children.
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.”
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.”
