Exodus 1

1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.

以色列的兒子們，各帶了家眷，同雅各伯來到埃及；他們的名字記載如下：

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

勒烏本、西默盎、勒末和猶大，

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

依撒加爾，則步隆和本雅明丹，

4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

和納裴塔里，加得和阿協爾。

5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: and Joseph was in Egypt already.

他們全是雅各伯所生的，一共七十人；若瑟那時已經在埃及。

6 And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.

若瑟和他的眾兄弟，以及這一代的人死了以後，

7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

以色列的子孫生育繁殖，數目增多，極其強盛，佈滿了那地。受壓迫

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

有位不認識若瑟的新王興起，統治了埃及。

9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:

他對自己的人民說：「看以色列子民，比我們又多又強。

10 come, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.

來，我們要用智謀對付他們，免得他們繁盛起來，一遇戰爭，就去與我們的敵人聯合，攻擊我們，然後離開此地。」

11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses.

於是派定督工管制他們，以苦役壓迫他們，叫他們給法朗建築丕通和辣默色斯兩做貯貨城。

12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

但是越壓迫他們，他們越增多，也越繁殖，以至埃及人都怕以色列子民。

13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:

於是埃及人更嚴厲地強迫以色列子民做苦工，

14 and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigour.

強迫他們作和泥做磚的苦工，田間的一切勞工，以及種種苦工，使他們的生活十分痛苦。殘害男嬰

15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

埃及王又吩咐為希伯來女人接生的收生婆，一個名叫史斐辣，一個名叫普亞的說

16 and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birthstool; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

「你們為希伯來女人接生時，要看著她們臨盆! 若是男孩，就殺死；若是女孩，就讓她活著。」

17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

但是收生婆敬畏天主，沒有照埃及王的吩咐去作，保留了男孩的性命。

18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

埃及王將收生婆召來，問她們說：「你們為什麼這樣做，竟叫男孩活著呢﹖」

19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwife come unto them.

‧收收婆回答法朗說：「希伯來女人和埃及女人不同，她們富有生機，收生婆還沒有來，她們已生產了。」

20 And God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

天主遂恩待了收生婆。以色列的子民更加增多起來，更加強盛。

21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

因為收生婆敬畏天主，天主就使她們家門興旺。

22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

法朗於是訓令他的全體人民說：「凡希伯來人所生的男孩，你們應把他丟在尼羅河裏；凡是女孩，留她活著! 」