< Exodus 1 >

1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):
Haya ndiyo majina ya wana wa Israeli waliokuja Misri pamoja na Yakobo kila moja na familia yake:
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
Rubeni, Simioni, Lawi, na Yuda,
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
Isakari, Zebuluni, na Benjamini,
4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
Dani, Naftali, Gadi, na Asheri.
5 All the souls who came out of Jacob’s body were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already.
Jumla ya watu wa ukoo wa Yakobo walikuwa sabini. Yusufu alikuwa Misri tayari.
6 Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation.
Ndipo Yusufu, pamoja na kaka zake wote, na kizazi chote wakafa.
7 The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
Waisraeli walifanikiwa sana, wakaongezeka sana idadi yao, na wakawa na nguvu maana nchi ilijazwa na wao.
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
Wakati huu sasa mfalme mpya asiyemjua Yusufu aliinuka katika Misri.
9 He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.
Akawaambia watu wake, “Tazama, hawa Waisraeli ni wengi na wenye nguvu kuliko sisi.
10 Come, let’s deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and escape out of the land.”
Njooni na tukae nao kwa akili, ama sivyo wataendelea kuongezeka na kama vita ikiibuka, wataungana na adui zetu, watapigana nasi, na kisha wataondoka.”
11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.
Hivyo wakawekea walinzi ambao waliwatesa kwa kuwatumikisha kazi ngumu. Waisraeli walijenga maghala ya miji kwa ajili ya Farao: Pishoni na Ramsei.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They started to dread the children of Israel.
Lakini kadiri Wamisri walivyowatesa, ndivyo Waisraeli waliendelea kuongezeka na kusambaa. Hivyo Wamisri wakaanza kuwaogopa Waisraeli.
13 The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,
Wamisri waliwafanya Waisraeli wafanye kazi kwa nguvu nyingi.
14 and they made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
Waliyafanya maisha yao kuwa machungu kwa kuwafanyisha kazi ngumu kwa vinu na matofali na kwa kila aina ya kazi za shambani. Kazi zao zote zilikuwa ngumu.
15 The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,
Kisha mfalme wa Misri akawaambia wakunga wa Kiebrania; mmoja wao aliitwa jina lake Shifra, na mwingine aliitwa Puha.
16 and he said, “When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”
Akasema, “Wakati mnapowasaidia wanawake wa Kiebrania wanapojifungua, chunguzeni wanapozaa. Ikiwa ni mtoto wa kiume, basi muueni; bali ikiwa ni mtoto wa kike, basi mwacheni aishi.”
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.
Lakini wale Wakunga walimwogopa Mungu na hawakufanya kama mfalme wa Misri alivyowaagiza; badala yake waliwaacha watoto wa kiume waishi.
18 The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and saved the boys alive?”
Mfalme wa Misri akawaita Wakunga na kuwaambia, “Kwanini mmefanya haya, na kuwaacha watoto wa kiume wakaishi?”
19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”
Wale Wakunga wakamjibu Farao, “Hawa wanawake wa Kiebrania siyo kama wanawake wa Kimisri. Hawa wana nguvu na jasiri sana maana wao humaliza kuzaa kabla hata mkunga hajafika.”
20 God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.
Mungu aliwalinda hawa Wakunga. Watu waliongezeka kwa idadi na kuwa na nguvu sana.
21 Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
Kwa sababu wale Wakunga walimwogopa Mungu, aliwapa familia.
22 Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”
Farao akawaagiza watu wote, “Lazima mmutupe kila mtoto wa kiume anayezaliwa katika mto, lakini kila mtoto wa kike wamwache aishi.”

< Exodus 1 >