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.”
Israēlieši tiek paverdzināti
1 Šie ir Israēla dēlu vārdi, kuri kopā ar Jēkabu atnāca uz Ēģipti, tie atnāca katrs ar savu namu. 2 Rūbens, Šimons, Levī un Jūda, 3 Jisašhars, Zebulūns un Benjāmins, 4 Dāns un Naftālī, Gāds un Ašērs. 5 Visi ļaudis kopā, kas nākuši no Jēkaba gurniem, bija septiņdesmit. Jāzeps mita Ēģiptē. 6 Tad nomira Jāzeps un visi viņa brāļi, un visa tā paaudze. 7 Un Israēla dēli augļojās, auga skaitā un vairojās, kļuva jo stipri daudzuma daudzumā un piepildīja visu zemi.
8 Un Ēģiptē pie varas nāca jauns ķēniņš, kurš nezināja par Jāzepu. 9 Viņš teica savai tautai: “Redzi, Israēla dēlu ļaužu ir daudz, un tie ir spēcīgāki par mums! 10 Rīkosimies gudri pret viņiem, kamēr tie nav savairojušies, jo, ja gadīsies karš, viņi apvienosies ar mūsu ienaidniekiem, cīnīsies ar mums un tad aizies no šīs zemes!” 11 Un viņi iecēla pār tiem vagarus, lai apspiestu viņus ar klaušām, un tie cēla faraonam noliktavu pilsētas – Pitomu un Raamsēsu. 12 Bet, jo vairāk viņus apspieda, jo tie vairojās, gāja plašumā. No Israēla dēliem baidījās. 13 Un ēģiptieši nelietīgi paverdzināja Israēla dēlus 14 un darīja viņu dzīvi rūgtu ar smagu darbu – lika tiem mīcīt mālus, taisīt ķieģeļus un darīt visus lauka darbus – apspiesti tie darīja viņiem visus darbus.
15 Tad Ēģiptes ķēniņš teica ebreju vecmātēm, vienai vārds bija Šifra un otrai – Pūa. 16 Viņš teica: “Kad jūs palīdzēsiet dzemdēt ebrejietei un uz dzemdību sola ieraudzīsiet zēnu, tad nonāvējiet, bet, ja meiteni, tad lai dzīvo!” 17 Taču vecmātes bijās Dieva, nedarīja, kā Ēģiptes ķēniņš bija teicis, un atstāja bērnus dzīvus. 18 Tad Ēģiptes ķēniņš pasauca vecmātes un teica tām: “Kāpēc jūs tā darījāt – atstājāt bērnus dzīvus?!” 19 Vecmātes teica faraonam: “Ebrejietes nav kā ēģiptiešu sievas! Tās ir izturīgas, pirms pie tām atnāk vecmāte – tās jau ir dzemdējušas!” 20 Un Dievs darīja vecmātēm labu. Tā tauta vairojās un kļuva jo stipra. 21 Vecmātes bijās Dieva, un tāpēc viņš deva tām dzimtas! 22 Un faraons pavēlēja visai savai tautai: “Visus viņu dēlus, kas piedzims, iemetiet Nīlā, bet meitas atstājiet dzīvas!”
