2 Mose 1

1 Und dies sind die Namen der Söhne Israels, die nach Ägypten gekommen sind. Mit Jakob sind sie gekommen, jeder mit seiner Familie:

The sons of Jacob who went to Egypt with him along with their families were

2 Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda,

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,

3 Issakar, Zabulon, Benjamin,

Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,

4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad und Asser.

Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

5 Aller Seelen der aus Jakob Entsprungenen waren es siebzig; Joseph aber war schon in Ägypten gewesen.

Altogether there were 70 people [who went with] Jacob. That included his [sons, his grandsons, and two great-grandsons]. [His son] Joseph was already in Egypt.

6 Da starben Joseph und alle seine Brüder, jenes ganze Geschlecht.

[Eventually] Joseph and his [older and younger] brothers and everyone [else in their family who lived] (in that generation/at that time) died.

7 Die Israeliten aber waren fruchtbar geworden; sie wurden überreich, wuchsen und erstarkten mehr und mehr, und das Land ward ihrer voll.

But Jacob’s descendants kept giving birth to many children [IDM]. The number [of his descendants] kept becoming larger and larger. As a result, there were so many of them that they were everywhere in Egypt (OR, that they [became a threat] to the Egyptians).

8 Da trat in Ägypten ein neuer König auf, der von Joseph nichts wußte.

Then [several hundred years later], a new king began to rule [MTY] in Egypt. He did not know [what] Joseph [had done for the people of Egypt long ago].

9 Er sprach zu seinem Volk: "Das Volk der Söhne Israels wird uns zu viel und zu stark.

He said to his people, “Look [at what has happened]! The Israeli people have become so numerous and so powerful that they [now might conquer] us!

10 Wohlan! Überlisten wir es, daß es nicht weiter wachse! Sonst könnte es sich, falls ein Krieg wider uns ausbreche, zu unseren Gegnern schlagen und gegen uns kämpfen und dann aus dem Lande ziehen."

We must find a way to control them! If we do not do that, their population will continue to grow. Then, if enemies [PRS] attack us, they will join with our enemies and fight against us, and they will escape from [our] land.”

11 so setzten sie Fronvögte darüber, um mit Fronarbeiten es zu drücken. Und so baute es Pitom und Ramses zu Vorratsstädten für Pharao aus.

So [the king and his officials] put supervisors over the Israeli people to cause them to suffer very much by [forcing them] to work very hard. They forced [the Israeli people to] build [two] cities, Pithom and Ramses, in which to store [supplies for the king/government].

12 Aber je mehr sie es drückten, desto mehr nahm es zu und breitete sich aus. Da graute jenen vor den Israeliten.

But the more cruelly they treated the [Israeli people], the bigger the Israeli [population] grew, and they became more numerous all over [the land]. So the Egyptian people began to be afraid of the Israeli people.

13 Und so machten die Ägypter die Israeliten gewaltsam zu Sklaven

They forced the Israeli people to work very hard,

14 und verbitterten ihnen das Leben mit harter Fron in Lehm und Ziegeln und allerlei Fron auf dem Felde. All ihr Frondienst, den man ihnen aufgelegt hatte, geschah mit Plackerei.

and by making them slaves, they made their lives miserable. They [forced them] to [build many buildings with] mortar and bricks. [They also forced them to do] other work in the fields. [In making them do all this work, the Egyptian officials treated them] ruthlessly/cruelly.

15 Dann sprach der König von Ägypten zu den Hebammen der Hebräerinnen; die eine hieß Siphra, die andere Pua.

There were two Hebrew (midwives/women who helped the women when they were giving birth). [Hebrew means the same as Israeli.] The names of the women were Shiphrah and Puah. The king of Egypt said to [those two women],

16 Er sagte: "Entbindet ihr die Hebräerinnen, dann beseht ihr die Teile. Ist es ein Knabe, dann tötet ihr ihn. Ist es ein Mädchen, mag es leben."

“When you help the Hebrew women when they are giving birth [MTY], if [the baby that is born] is a boy, you must kill it. If [the baby] is a girl, you (may let it live/do not have to kill them).”

17 Die Hebammen aber fürchteten Gott, und so taten sie nicht, was ihnen der König von Ägypten befohlen, sondern ließen die Knaben am Leben.

But the midwives feared/revered God. So they did not do what the king told them to do. They allowed the baby boys to live.

18 Da schrie der König von Ägypten die Hebammen an und sprach zu ihnen: "Warum habt ihr dies getan? Ihr ließet die Knaben am Leben."

So the king summoned the [two] midwives and said to them, “Why are you doing this? Why are you letting the baby boys live?”

19 Da sprachen die Hebammen zu Pharao: "Die Hebräerinnen sind nicht wie die ägyptischen Weiber; sie sind wie Tiere. Bevor die Hebamme zu ihnen kommt, haben sie geboren."

[One of] the midwives replied to the king, “[You need to realize that] the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. The Hebrew women are very strong/healthy. They give birth [to their babies] before we can get to them [to help them].”

20 Und Gott ließ es den Hebammen gut ergehen. Das Volk aber wuchs und wurde sehr stark.

So God acted kindly toward the midwives, and the [Hebrew] people became even more numerous and strong.

21 Weil aber die Hebammen Gott gefürchtet hatten, verlieh er ihnen Vermögen.

Furthermore, because the midwives feared/revered God, he enabled them also to give birth to children.

22 Pharao aber befahl seinem ganzen Volke: "Ihr sollt alle Knaben, die geboren werden, in den Nil werfen. Die Mädchen aber sollt ihr am Leben lassen."

Then the king commanded all (the [Egyptian] people/his [advisors]): “You must throw into the Nile [River] every baby boy born that the [Hebrew women] give birth to! But you can allow the baby girls to live.”