< Kutoka 1 >

1 Haya ndiyo majina ya wana wa Israeli waliokuja Misri pamoja na Yakobo kila moja na familia yake:
Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):
2 Rubeni, Simioni, Lawi, na Yuda,
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3 Isakari, Zebuluni, na Benjamini,
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 Dani, Naftali, Gadi, na Asheri.
Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5 Jumla ya watu wa ukoo wa Yakobo walikuwa sabini. Yusufu alikuwa Misri tayari.
All the souls who came out of Jacob’s body were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already.
6 Ndipo Yusufu, pamoja na kaka zake wote, na kizazi chote wakafa.
Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation.
7 Waisraeli walifanikiwa sana, wakaongezeka sana idadi yao, na wakawa na nguvu maana nchi ilijazwa na wao.
The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8 Wakati huu sasa mfalme mpya asiyemjua Yusufu aliinuka katika Misri.
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
9 Akawaambia watu wake, “Tazama, hawa Waisraeli ni wengi na wenye nguvu kuliko sisi.
He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.
10 Njooni na tukae nao kwa akili, ama sivyo wataendelea kuongezeka na kama vita ikiibuka, wataungana na adui zetu, watapigana nasi, na kisha wataondoka.”
Come, let’s deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and escape out of the land.”
11 Hivyo wakawekea walinzi ambao waliwatesa kwa kuwatumikisha kazi ngumu. Waisraeli walijenga maghala ya miji kwa ajili ya Farao: Pishoni na Ramsei.
Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.
12 Lakini kadiri Wamisri walivyowatesa, ndivyo Waisraeli waliendelea kuongezeka na kusambaa. Hivyo Wamisri wakaanza kuwaogopa Waisraeli.
But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They started to dread the children of Israel.
13 Wamisri waliwafanya Waisraeli wafanye kazi kwa nguvu nyingi.
The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,
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 they made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
15 Kisha mfalme wa Misri akawaambia wakunga wa Kiebrania; mmoja wao aliitwa jina lake Shifra, na mwingine aliitwa Puha.
The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,
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.”
and he said, “When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”
17 Lakini wale Wakunga walimwogopa Mungu na hawakufanya kama mfalme wa Misri alivyowaagiza; badala yake waliwaacha watoto wa kiume waishi.
But the midwives feared God, and did not do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.
18 Mfalme wa Misri akawaita Wakunga na kuwaambia, “Kwanini mmefanya haya, na kuwaacha watoto wa kiume wakaishi?”
The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and saved the boys alive?”
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.”
The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”
20 Mungu aliwalinda hawa Wakunga. Watu waliongezeka kwa idadi na kuwa na nguvu sana.
God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.
21 Kwa sababu wale Wakunga walimwogopa Mungu, aliwapa familia.
Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
22 Farao akawaagiza watu wote, “Lazima mmutupe kila mtoto wa kiume anayezaliwa katika mto, lakini kila mtoto wa kike wamwache aishi.”
Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”

< Kutoka 1 >