The People of Israel Suffer
1-5 When Jacob went to Egypt, his son Joseph was already there. So Jacob took his eleven other sons and their families. They were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. Altogether, Jacob had 70 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who went with him.
6 After Joseph, his brothers, and everyone else in that generation had died, 7 the people of Israel became so numerous that the whole region of Goshen was full of them.
8 Many years later a new king came to power. He did not know what Joseph had done for Egypt, 9 and he told the Egyptians:
There are too many of those Israelites in our country, and they are becoming more powerful than we are. 10 If we don't outsmart them, their families will keep growing larger. And if our country goes to war, they could easily fight on the side of our enemies and escape from Egypt.
11 The Egyptians put slave bosses in charge of the people of Israel and tried to wear them down with hard work. Those bosses forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses, where the king could store his supplies. 12 But even though the Israelites were mistreated, their families grew larger, and they took over more land. Because of this, the Egyptians feared them worse than before 13 and made them work so hard 14 that their lives were miserable. The Egyptians were cruel to the people of Israel and forced them to make bricks and to mix mortar and to work in the fields.
15 Finally, the king called in Shiphrah and Puah, the two women who helped the Hebrew mothers when they gave birth. 16 He told them, “If a Hebrew woman gives birth to a girl, let the child live. If the baby is a boy, kill him!”
17 But the two women were faithful to God and did not kill the boys, even though the king had told them to. 18 The king called them in again and asked, “Why are you letting those baby boys live?”
19 They answered, “Hebrew women have their babies much quicker than Egyptian women. By the time we arrive, their babies are already born.” 20-21 God was good to the two women because they truly respected him, and he blessed them with children of their own.
The Hebrews kept increasing 22 until finally, the king gave a command to everyone in the nation, “As soon as a Hebrew boy is born, throw him into the Nile River! But you can let the girls live.”
1 Šie ir Israēla bērnu vārdi, kas ar Jēkabu bija nonākuši Ēģiptē; ikviens ar savu saimi tie bija nākuši.
2 Rūbens, Simeons, Levijs un Jūda,
3 Isašars, Zebulons, Benjamīns,
4 Dans, Naftalis, Gads un Ašers.
5 Un visu dzīvo dvēseļu skaits, kas bija cēlušas no Jēkaba, bija kopā septiņdesmit.
6 Un Jāzeps nomira un visi viņa brāļi un visa šī paaudze.
7 Bet Israēla bērni vairojās ļoti lieliem pulkiem un pieņēmās varā ļoti lielā mērā, tā ka zeme bija ar tiem pilna piepildīta.
8 Bet Ēģiptē cēlās jauns valdnieks, kas par Jāzepu neko nezināja.
9 Un viņš sacīja saviem tautiešiem: „Šī tauta, Israēla bērni, kļūst lielāka un varenāka par mums.
10 Tāpēc rīkosimies ar tiem gudri, ka tie par daudz nesavairojas un, ja mums gadītos kapš, neapvienotos ar mūsu ienaidniekiem un nekarotu pret mums un neatstātu šo zemi.“
11 Un viņi iecēla tiem darba uzraugus, lai tos verdzinātu ar klaušu darbiem, un tie uzcēla faraonam noliktavu pilsētas—Pitomu un Ramzesu.
12 Bet jo vairāk tos apspieda, jo vairāk tie vairojās un izplatījās tā, ka viņiem palika bail no Israēla bērniem.
13 Tā ēģiptieši kalpināja Israēla bērnus, tos nežēlīgi spaidīdami.
14 Tie darīja viņu dzīvi sūru ar grūtiem darbiem pie māliem un ķieģeļiem un visādiem darbiem tīrumos, kā ari ar visādiem citiem darbiem viņus nežēlīgi spaidīdami.
15 Tad Ēģiptes ķēniņš sacīja ebrēju vecmātēm, vienai bija vārds Šifra, tai otrai Pua,
16 Viņš sacīja: „Kad jūs sniedzat palīdzību ebrēju sievām dzemdībās un, tām uz akmens sēžot, vērojat, ka tas ir zēns, tad to nokaujiet, bet ja tā ir meitene, tad lai tā paliek dzlva.“
17 Bet vecmātes bija dievbijīgas un nedarīja tā, kā Ēģiptes ķēniņš viņām bija piekodinājis, ūn bērni palika dzīvi.
18 Tad Ēģiptes ķēniņš atsauca vecmātes un sacīja tām: „Kādēļ jūs esat tā darījušas, un esat zēnus atstājušas dzīvus?“
19 Vecmātes atbildēja faraonam, ka ar ebrējietēm neesot tā kā ar ēģiptietēm, jo pirms pie viņām noejot vecmāte, tās esot jau dzemdējušas, jo viņas ir stipras.
20 Un Dievs vecmātēm darīja labu, un tauta vairojās un ļoti pieņēmās spēkā.
21 Tad faraons pavēlēja visai savai tautai: „Visus zēnus, kas piedzimst, iemetiet upē, bet meitenes lai paliek dzīvas.“
