2 Mose 1

1 Yakob mma ne wɔn abusuafo a wɔne no tu kɔtenaa no din na edidi so yi.

The sons of Jacob who went to Egypt with him along with their families were

2 Ruben, Simeon, Lewi ne Yuda;

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,

3 Isakar, Sebulon ne Benyamin;

Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,

4 Dan, Naftali; Gad ne Aser.

Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

5 Yakob asefo a ɔne wɔn kɔe no nyinaa ano si aduɔson. Na Yosef wɔ Misraim dedaw.

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 Yosef ne ne nuanom ne wɔn bere sofo no nyinaa wuwui,

[Eventually] Joseph and his [older and younger] brothers and everyone [else in their family who lived] (in that generation/at that time) died.

7 nanso Israelfo no ase fɛee, na wɔyɛɛ bebree, hyɛɛ asase no so ma.

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 Na ɔhene foforo bi bedii ade wɔ Misraim a na onnim Yosef ho asɛm.

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 Ɔka kyerɛɛ ne manfo no se, “Monhwɛ, Israelfo yi ase adɔ, wɔreyɛ adɔɔso dodo ama yɛn.

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 Momma yɛmpɛ ɔkwan bi na yɛmfa so nsiw saa dɔ a wɔredɔ no ano. Sɛ yɛanyɛ saa na ɔko bi si a, wɔbɛdɔm yɛn atamfo ne wɔn ako atia yɛn na wɔafi ɔman yi mu.”

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 Enti wɔde nkoa sohwɛfo gyinagyinaa wɔn kɔn so ma wɔyɛɛ adwumaden de kyekyeree adekora nkuropɔn Pitom ne Rameses maa 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 Nanso mpɛn dodow a Misraimfo no hyɛɛ wɔn so no, na dɔ ara na Israelfo no redɔɔso. Eyi maa Misraimfo no suroo Israelfo

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 na wɔkɔɔ so hyɛɛ Israelfo no so ketee.

They forced the Israeli people to work very hard,

14 Wɔde adwumadenyɛ dii Israelfo no nya. Wɔma wɔyɛɛ ntayaa ne dɔte ho adwuma a ɛyɛ den ne mfum nnwuma ahorow. Eyinom nyinaa akyi no Misraimfo faa akwan bebree so daa atirimɔden adi kyerɛɛ Israelfo no.

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 Misraimhene ka kyerɛɛ Hebrifo awogyefo a wɔn din ne Sifra ne Pua se,

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 “Sɛ mukogye Hebrini biara awo, na awoe hɔ muhu sɛ ɔyɛ ɔbabarima a, munkum no, na sɛ ɔyɛ ɔbabea de a, monnyɛ no hwee.”

“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 Esiane sɛ na awogyefo no yɛ nyamesurofo no nti, wɔanni mmara a ɔhene no hyɛɛ wɔn no so, maa mmarimaa a wɔwowoo wɔn no tenae.

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 Ɔhene no frɛɛ wɔn bisaa wɔn se, “Adɛn nti na moanni mmara a mehyɛe no so na moama mmarimaa a Hebrifo no wowoo wɔn no atena?”

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 Wobuaa no se, “Hebrifo mmea no de ahoɔden wo ɔhare so nti yebedu hɔ no, na wɔawo dedaw. Wɔnte sɛ Misraimfo mmea no.”

[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 Onyankopɔn hyiraa awogyefo no. Na Israelfo no dɔɔso ara bɛyɛɛ ɔman kɛse.

So God acted kindly toward the midwives, and the [Hebrew] people became even more numerous and strong.

21 Esiane sɛ na awogyefo no yɛ nyamesurofo nti, Onyankopɔn dom wɔn mma.

Furthermore, because the midwives feared/revered God, he enabled them also to give birth to children.

22 Na Farao hyɛɛ mmara sɛ Hebrifo mmarimaa a wɔbɛwo wɔn foforo no, wɔntow wɔn ngu Asubɔnten Nil mu na mmeawa a wɔbɛwo wɔn foforo no de, wɔntena hɔ.

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.”