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 came into Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:
2 Ribeni, Simeoni, Levi mpe Yuda;
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3 Isakari, Zabuloni mpe Benjame;
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 Dani mpe Nefitali; Gadi mpe Aseri.
Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 Bakitani ya Jakobi bazalaki bango nyonso tuku sambo. Nzokande Jozefi amizalelaki na Ejipito.
All the people who were descendants of Jacob were seventy in number. Joseph was already in Egypt.
6 Jozefi mpe bandeko na ye nyonso ya mibali elongo na bato ya ekeke na bango basilaki na kokufa.
Then Joseph, all his brothers, and all that generation died.
7 Kasi bana ya Isalaele babotanaki mingi mpe bakomaki ebele penza. Bakomaki lisusu ebele koleka mpe makasi mingi: batondisaki mokili ya Ejipito.
The Israelites were fruitful, increased greatly in numbers, and became very strong; the land was filled with them.
8 Mokonzi moko ya sika, oyo ayebaki Jozefi te, azwaki bokonzi na Ejipito.
Now then a new king arose over Egypt, one who did not know about Joseph.
9 Alobaki na bato na ye: « Botala bana ya Isalaele, bakomi ebele koleka biso mpe baleki biso na makasi.
He said to his people, “Look, the Israelites are more numerous and 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 deal with them wisely, otherwise they will continue to grow in numbers, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave 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.
So they put taskmasters over them to oppress them with hard labor. The Israelites built store cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Rameses.
12 Kasi wana bazalaki konyokola bango, bazalaki kokoba kaka kobotana mpe kokoma ebele. Bongo bato ya Ejipito bakomaki kobanga bana ya Isalaele.
But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites increased in numbers and spread. So the Egyptians began to dread the Israelites.
13 Bato ya Ejipito bakotisaki bana ya Isalaele na bowumbu ya makasi
The Egyptians made the Israelites work rigorously.
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.
They made their lives bitter with hard service with mortar and brick, and with all kinds of work in the fields. All their required work was hard.
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 Hebrew midwives; the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the other 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. »
He said, “When you assist the Hebrew women on the birthstool, observe when they give birth. If it is a son, then you must kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she may live.”
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 did not do as the king of Egypt ordered them; instead, they let the baby boys live.
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?
The king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the baby boys live?”
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.
The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They are vigorous and have finished giving birth before a midwife comes to them.”
20 Nzambe asalaki bolamu epai ya basi oyo babotisaka. Boye bana ya Isalaele bakobaki kaka kokoma ebele mpe makasi koleka.
God protected these midwives. The people increased in numbers and became very strong.
21 Lokola basi oyo babotisaka bazalaki kobanga Nzambe, Nzambe afulukisaki mabota na bango.
Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
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. »
Pharaoh ordered all his people, “You must throw every son that is born into the river, but every daughter you will let live.”
