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 un Benjamīns, 4 Dans, Naftalis, Gads un Ašers. 5 Un visu dvēseļu skaits, kas cēlušās no Jēkaba, bija septiņdesmit. Bet Jāzeps jau bija Ēģiptē. 6 Un Jāzeps nomira un visi viņa brāļi, un visa šī paaudze. 7 Bet Israēla bērni augļojās un ļoti pieauga un vairojās un tapa ļoti vareni, tā ka zeme bija piepildīta ar tiem. 8 Bet Ēģiptē cēlās jauns ķēniņš, kas par Jāzepu neko nezināja. 9 Un viņš sacīja saviem ļaudīm: "Šī tauta, Israēla bērni, kļūst lielāka un varenāka par mums. 10 Taču rīkosimies gudri ar tiem, ka tie par daudz nesavairojas un, ja izceļas karš, neapvienotos ar mūsu ienaidniekiem un nekarotu pret mums, un neatstātu šo zemi." 11 Un viņi iecēla tiem darba uzraugus, lai tos verdzinātu ar smagiem darbiem, un tie uzcēla faraonam noliktavu pilsētas - Pitomu un Ramzesu. 12 Bet, jo vairāk tos apspieda, jo vairāk tie vairojās un izpletās, tā ka viņiem palika bail no Israēla bērniem. 13 Tā ēģiptieši verdzināja Israēla bērnus ar smagiem darbiem. 14 Tie darīja viņu dzīvi sūru ar smagiem darbiem pie māliem un ķieģeļiem un visādiem darbiem laukā, un visādiem citiem darbiem, kurus tie nežēlīgi uzlika viņiem. 15 Tad Ēģiptes ķēniņš sacīja ebreju vecmātēm, vienai bija vārds Sifra, otrai Pua, 16 viņš sacīja: "Kad jūs palīdzat ebreju sievām dzemdībās un, tām uz akmens sēžot, redzat, ka tas ir zēns, tad to nonāvējiet, bet, ja tā ir meitene, tad lai tā dzīvo." 17 Bet vecmātes bijās Dieva un nedarīja tā, kā Ēģiptes ķēniņš viņām bija sacījis, bet atstāja zēnus dzīvus. 18 Tad Ēģiptes ķēniņš atsauca vecmātes un sacīja tām: "Kādēļ jūs tā esat darījušas un zēnus atstājušas dzīvus?" 19 Vecmātes atbildēja faraonam: "Tādēļ, ka ebreju sievas nav tādas kā ēģiptiešu sievas, jo tās ir spēcīgas, pirms vecmāte pie viņām atnāk, tās jau ir dzemdējušas." 20 Tā Dievs vecmātēm darīja labu, un tauta vairojās un tapa ļoti varena. 21 Tad faraons pavēlēja visai savai tautai: "Visus zēnus, kas piedzimst, iemetiet upē, bet meitenes atstājiet dzīvas."
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.”
