U-Eksodusi 1

1 La-ke ngamabizo amadodana kaIsrayeli afika eGibhithe loJakobe; afika, ileyo laleyo lomuzi wayo,

These are the names of the sons of Israel that came into Egypt together with Jacob their father; they came in each with their whole family.

2 uRubeni, uSimeyoni, uLevi, loJuda,

Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judas,

3 uIsakari, uZebuluni, loBhenjamini,

Issachar, Zabulon, Benjamin,

4 uDani, loNafithali, uGadi, loAsheri.

Dan and Nephthalim, Gad and Aser.

5 Njalo yonke imiphefumulo eyaphuma ekhalweni lukaJakobe yayiyimiphefumulo engamatshumi ayisikhombisa. Kodwa uJosefa wayeseGibhithe.

But Joseph was in Egypt. And all the souls [born] of Jacob were seventy-five.

6 UJosefa wasesifa labo bonke abafowabo, lalesosizukulwana sonke.

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

7 Njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli bazalana, baba banengi, banda, baba lamandla kakhulukazi, ilizwe laze lagcwaliswa yibo.

And the children of Israel increased and multiplied, and became numerous and grew exceedingly strong, and the land multiplied them.

8 Kwasekuvela inkosi entsha phezu kweGibhithe eyayingamazi uJosefa.

And there arose up another king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

9 Yasisithi esizweni sayo: Khangela, isizwe sabantwana bakoIsrayeli sinengi, futhi silamandla kulathi.

And he said to his nation, Behold, the race of the children of Israel is a great multitude, and is stronger than we:

10 Wozani, asisihlakanipheleni, hlezi sande, njalo kuzakuthi lapho kusehla impi, laso sihlangane lezitha zethu, silwe simelene lathi, senyuke sisuke elizweni.

come then, let us deal craftily with them, lest at any time they be increased, and whenever war shall happen to us, these also shall be added to our enemies, and having prevailed against us in war, they will depart out of the land.

11 Ngakho bamisa phezu kwaso izinduna zesibhalo ukusihlupha ngemithwalo yabo. Njalo samakhela uFaro imizi eyiziphala, iPithoma leRamesesi.

And he set over them taskmasters, who should afflict them in their works; and they built strong cities for Pharao, both Pitho, and Ramesses, and On, which is Heliopolis.

12 Kodwa kwathi ekusihlupheni kwaso kwang'khona sisanda, kwang'khona sisabalala. Ngakho banengwa ngabantwana bakoIsrayeli.

But as they humbled them, by so much they multiplied, and grew exceedingly strong; and the Egyptians greatly abhorred the children of Israel.

13 Njalo amaGibhithe abasebenzisa abantwana bakoIsrayeli ngochuku,

And the Egyptians tyrannized over the children of Israel by force.

14 aze enza impilo zabo zababa ngomsebenzi onzima, ngodaka langezitina, langawo wonke umsebenzi emasimini; ngomsebenzi wabo wonke, ababenza bawenza ngodlakela.

And they embittered their life by hard labors, in the clay and in brick-making, and all the works in the plains, according to all the works, wherein they caused them to serve with violence.

15 Inkosi yeGibhithe yasikhuluma lababelethisi amaHebherukazi, obizo lowokuqala lalinguShifira, lebizo lowesibili lalinguPhuwa,

And the king of the Egyptians spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews; the name of the one was, Sepphora; and the name of the second, Phua.

16 yasisithi: Nxa libelethisa amaHebherukazi, lapho libabona ezihlalweni zokubeletha, uba kuyindodana, liyibulale; kodwa uba kuyindodakazi, iyekeleni iphila.

And he said, When you do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and they are about to be delivered, if it be a male, kill it; but if a female, save it.

17 Kodwa ababelethisi babemesaba uNkulunkulu, kabenzanga njengalokho yakhuluma kubo inkosi yeGibhithe, kodwa babayekela abafana baphila.

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt appointed them; and they saved the male children alive.

18 Inkosi yeGibhithe yasibiza ababelethisi, yathi kubo: Liyenzeleni linto ukuthi liyekele abafana baphile?

And the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them, Why is it that you have done this thing, and saved the male children alive?

19 Ababelethisi basebesithi kuFaro: Ngoba amaHebherukazi kawanjengabafazi bamaGibhithe; ngoba alamandla, umbelethisi engakafiki kuwo, asebelethile.

And the midwives said to Pharao, The Hebrew women are not as the women of Egypt, for they are delivered before the midwives go in to them. So they bore children.

20 Ngalokhu uNkulunkulu wabenzela ababelethisi okuhle, labantu banda, baba lamandla kakhulu.

And God did well to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very strong.

21 Kwasekusithi, ngoba ababelethisi bamesaba uNkulunkulu, wabakhela imizi.

And as the midwives feared God, they established for themselves families.

22 UFaro waselaya isizwe sakhe sonke esithi: Yonke indodana ezalwayo liyiphosele emfuleni, kodwa yonke indodakazi liyiyekele iphile.

And Pharao charged all his people, saying, Whatever male [child] shall be born to the Hebrews, cast into the river; and every female, save it alive.