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!”
The Israelites Are Treated Cruelly in Egypt
1 The sons of Jacob who went to Egypt with him, each with his family, were 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, 4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 5 The total number of these people directly descended from Jacob was seventy. His son Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 In the course of time Joseph, his brothers, and all the rest of that generation died, 7 but their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and became so numerous and strong that Egypt was filled with them.
8 Then, a new king, who knew nothing about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 He said to his people, “These Israelites are so numerous and strong that they are a threat to us. 10 In case of war they might join our enemies in order to fight against us, and might escape from the country. We must find some way to keep them from becoming even more numerous.” 11 So the Egyptians put slave drivers over them to crush their spirits with hard labor. The Israelites built the cities of Pithom and Rameses to serve as supply centers for the king. 12 But the more the Egyptians oppressed the Israelites, the more they increased in number and the farther they spread through the land. The Egyptians came to fear the Israelites 13-14 and made their lives miserable by forcing them into cruel slavery. They made them work on their building projects and in their fields, and they had no pity on them.
15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to Shiphrah and Puah, the two midwives who helped the Hebrew women. 16 “When you help the Hebrew women give birth,” he said to them, “kill the baby if it is a boy; but if it is a girl, let it live.” 17 But the midwives were God-fearing and so did not obey the king; instead, they let the boys live. 18 So the king sent for the midwives and asked them, “Why are you doing this? Why are you letting the boys live?”
19 They answered, “The Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they give birth easily, and their babies are born before either of us gets there.” 20-21 Because the midwives were God-fearing, God was good to them and gave them families of their own. And the Israelites continued to increase and become strong. 22 Finally the king issued a command to all his people: “Take every newborn Hebrew boy and throw him into the Nile, but let all the girls live.”
