Kobima 1
1 Tala bakombo ya bana ya Isalaele oyo bakendeki na Ejipito elongo na Jakobi, moko na moko elongo na libota na ye:
These are the names of the sons of Israel, who went into Egypt with Jacob. They entered, each one with his house:
2 Ribeni, Simeoni, Levi mpe Yuda;
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
3 Isakari, Zabuloni mpe Benjame;
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 Dani mpe Nefitali; Gadi mpe Aseri.
Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5 Bakitani ya Jakobi bazalaki bango nyonso tuku sambo. Nzokande Jozefi amizalelaki na Ejipito.
Therefore, all the souls of those who went forth from Jacob’s thigh were seventy. Now Joseph was in Egypt.
6 Jozefi mpe bandeko na ye nyonso ya mibali elongo na bato ya ekeke na bango basilaki na kokufa.
When he had died, along with all of his brothers and all of that generation,
7 Kasi bana ya Isalaele babotanaki mingi mpe bakomaki ebele penza. Bakomaki lisusu ebele koleka mpe makasi mingi: batondisaki mokili ya Ejipito.
the sons of Israel increased, and they multiplied like seedlings. And having been strengthened exceedingly, they filled the land.
8 Mokonzi moko ya sika, oyo ayebaki Jozefi te, azwaki bokonzi na Ejipito.
Meanwhile, there arose a new king over Egypt, who was ignorant of Joseph.
9 Alobaki na bato na ye: « Botala bana ya Isalaele, bakomi ebele koleka biso mpe baleki biso na makasi.
And he said to his people: “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are many, and they are stronger than we are.
10 Tosengeli kosala keba mpo na bango, mpo ete bakoma lisusu ebele te. Pamba te soki bitumba ekweyi, bakoki kokende na ngambo ya banguna na biso mpe kobundisa biso mpo ete babima na mokili oyo. »
Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply; and if any war should advance against us, they may be added to our enemies, and having fought against us, they might depart from the land.”
11 Boye batiaki bakonzi ya misala makasi mpo na konyokola bana ya Isalaele na nzela ya misala makasi. Na bongo, batongelaki Faraon bingumba ya Pitomi mpe ya Ramisesi mpo ete ezala bisika ya kobomba biloko.
And so he set over them masters of the works, in order to afflict them with burdens. And they built for Pharaoh the cities of the tabernacles: Pithom and Raamses.
12 Kasi wana bazalaki konyokola bango, bazalaki kokoba kaka kobotana mpe kokoma ebele. Bongo bato ya Ejipito bakomaki kobanga bana ya Isalaele.
And the more they oppressed them, so much more did they multiply and increase.
13 Bato ya Ejipito bakotisaki bana ya Isalaele na bowumbu ya makasi
And the Egyptians hated the sons of Israel, and they afflicted them and mocked them.
14 mpe bakomaki konyokola bango na misala makasi: kosala potopoto, kobeta babiliki mpe kosala misala nyonso ya bilanga. Misala nyonso oyo bazalaki kosalisa bango ezalaki ya pasi mpe ya makasi.
And they led their life directly into bitterness, with hard work in clay and brick, and with all kinds of servitude, so that they were being overwhelmed with the works of the land.
15 Mokonzi ya Ejipito alobaki na basi oyo babotisaka basi ya Ba-Ebre, oyo bakombo na bango ezalaki Shifra mpe Puwa:
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews, (one of whom one was called Shiphrah, another Puah)
16 « Tango bokobotisa basi ya Ba-Ebre, botala soki mwana nini abotami; soki azali mwana mobali, boboma ye; kasi soki azali mwana mwasi, botika ye na bomoi. »
instructing them: “When you will act as a midwife to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery has arrived: if it is male, put it to death; if it is female, retain it.”
17 Kasi basi oyo babotisaka babangaki Nzambe mpe basalaki te makambo oyo mokonzi ya Ejipito atindaki bango kosala; batikaki bana mibali na bomoi.
But the midwives feared God, and so they did not act according to the precept of the king of Egypt, but they kept the males safe.
18 Boye mokonzi ya Ejipito abengisaki basi oyo babotisaka mpe atunaki bango: — Mpo na nini bosali boye? Mpo na nini botiki bana mibali na bomoi?
And summoning them, the king said, “What did you intend to do, so that you would save the boys?”
19 Basi oyo babotisaka bazongiselaki Faraon: — Basi ya Ba-Ebre bazali lokola basi ya Ejipito te. Bazali makasi, babotaka liboso ete basi oyo babotisaka bakoma.
They responded: “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. For they themselves have the wisdom of a midwife, and so they give birth before we can come to them.”
20 Nzambe asalaki bolamu epai ya basi oyo babotisaka. Boye bana ya Isalaele bakobaki kaka kokoma ebele mpe makasi koleka.
Therefore, God acted favorably toward the midwives. And the people increased, and they were strengthened exceedingly.
21 Lokola basi oyo babotisaka bazalaki kobanga Nzambe, Nzambe afulukisaki mabota na bango.
And because the midwives feared God, he built houses for them.
22 Bongo, Faraon apesaki mitindo epai ya bato na ye nyonso: « Bobwaka na ebale Nili bana mibali nyonso ya Isalaele oyo bakobotama, kasi botika na bomoi bana basi nyonso. »
Therefore, Pharaoh instructed all his people, saying: “Whatever will be born of the male sex, cast it into the river; whatever will be born of the female sex, retain it.”
