Kutoka 1
1 Haya ndiyo majina ya wana wa Israeli waliokuja Misri pamoja na Yakobo kila moja na familia yake:
The sons of Jacob who went to Egypt with him along with their families were
2 Rubeni, Simioni, Lawi, na Yuda,
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
3 Isakari, Zebuluni, na Benjamini,
Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,
4 Dani, Naftali, Gadi, na Asheri.
Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 Jumla ya watu wa ukoo wa Yakobo walikuwa sabini. Yusufu alikuwa Misri tayari.
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 Ndipo Yusufu, pamoja na kaka zake wote, na kizazi chote wakafa.
[Eventually] Joseph and his [older and younger] brothers and everyone [else in their family who lived] (in that generation/at that time) died.
7 Waisraeli walifanikiwa sana, wakaongezeka sana idadi yao, na wakawa na nguvu maana nchi ilijazwa na wao.
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 Wakati huu sasa mfalme mpya asiyemjua Yusufu aliinuka katika 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, “Tazama, hawa Waisraeli ni wengi na wenye nguvu kuliko 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 na tukae nao kwa akili, ama sivyo wataendelea kuongezeka na kama vita ikiibuka, wataungana na adui zetu, watapigana nasi, na kisha wataondoka.”
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 Hivyo wakawekea walinzi ambao waliwatesa kwa kuwatumikisha kazi ngumu. Waisraeli walijenga maghala ya miji kwa ajili ya Farao: Pishoni na Ramsei.
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 kadiri Wamisri walivyowatesa, ndivyo Waisraeli waliendelea kuongezeka na kusambaa. Hivyo Wamisri wakaanza kuwaogopa 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 Wamisri waliwafanya Waisraeli wafanye kazi kwa nguvu nyingi.
They forced the Israeli people to work very hard,
14 Waliyafanya maisha yao kuwa machungu kwa kuwafanyisha kazi ngumu kwa vinu na matofali na kwa kila aina ya kazi za shambani. Kazi zao zote zilikuwa ngumu.
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 Kisha mfalme wa Misri akawaambia wakunga wa Kiebrania; mmoja wao aliitwa jina lake Shifra, na mwingine aliitwa Puha.
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 Akasema, “Wakati mnapowasaidia wanawake wa Kiebrania wanapojifungua, chunguzeni wanapozaa. Ikiwa ni mtoto wa kiume, basi muueni; bali ikiwa ni mtoto wa kike, basi 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 wale Wakunga walimwogopa Mungu na hawakufanya kama mfalme wa Misri alivyowaagiza; badala yake waliwaacha 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 Mfalme wa Misri akawaita Wakunga na kuwaambia, “Kwanini mmefanya haya, na kuwaacha watoto wa kiume wakaishi?”
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 Wale Wakunga wakamjibu Farao, “Hawa wanawake wa Kiebrania siyo kama wanawake wa Kimisri. Hawa wana nguvu na jasiri sana maana wao humaliza kuzaa kabla hata mkunga hajafika.”
[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 Mungu aliwalinda hawa Wakunga. Watu waliongezeka kwa idadi na kuwa na nguvu sana.
So God acted kindly toward the midwives, and the [Hebrew] people became even more numerous and strong.
21 Kwa sababu wale Wakunga walimwogopa Mungu, aliwapa familia.
Furthermore, because the midwives feared/revered God, he enabled them also to give birth to children.
22 Farao akawaagiza watu wote, “Lazima mmutupe kila mtoto wa kiume anayezaliwa katika mto, lakini kila mtoto wa kike wamwache 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.”
