1 ه َذِهِ هِيَ أسْماءُ أبْناءِ إسْرائِيلَ الَّذِينَ ذَهَبُوا إلَى مِصرَ مَعَ يَعقُوبَ وَمَعَ عائِلاتِهِمْ:
These are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:
2 ر َأُوبَيْنُ وَشِمْعُونُ وَلاوِي وَيَهُوذا
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3 و َيَسّاكَرُ وَزَبُولُونُ وَبَنْيامِيْنُ
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 و َدانٌ وَنَفتالِي وَجادٌ وَأشِيرُ.
Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5 و َكانَ مَجمُوعُ أفْرَادِ نَسلِ يَعقُوبَ سَبعِينَ. وَعاشَ يُوسُفُ فِي مِصرَ.
All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt.
6 و َماتَ يُوسُفُ وَإخوَتُهُ وَكُلُّ ذَلِكَ الجِيلِ.
Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.
7 و َأمّا بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ فَقَدْ أثْمَرُوا وَازدادَ عَدَدُهُمْ. فَكَثُرُوا جِدّاً وَصارُوا أقْوِياءَ حَتَّى إنَّ الأرْضَ امْتَلأتْ مِنْهُمْ. ضِيقٌ عَلَى بَني إسْرائِيل
But the descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, and the land was full of them.
8 و َوَصَلَ مَلِكٌ جَدِيدٌ إلَى السُّلطَةِ فِي مِصرَ. وَلَمْ يَكُنْ هَذا المَلِكُ قَدْ عَرَفَ يُوسُفَ.
Now a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph.
9 ف َقالَ مَلِكُ مِصرَ لِشَعبِهِ: «بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ أكثَرُ عَدَداً وَقُوَّةً مِنّا.
He said to his people, Behold, the Israelites are too many and too mighty for us '> outnumber us both in people and in strength].
10 ف َلْنَضَعْ خُطَّةً لِمَنعِهِمْ مِنَ التَّزايُدِ فِي العَدَدِ وَالقُوَّةِ. فَإنْ لَمْ نَفعَلْ ذَلِكَ، سَيَنْضَمُّونَ إلَى أعدائِنا وَيُحارِبُونَنا، ثُمَّ يَهرُبُونَ مِنَ الأرْضِ.»
Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply more and, should war befall us, they join our enemies, fight against us, and escape out of the land.
11 ف َعَيَّنَ المِصرِيُّونَ مُشْرِفِينَ لِيُضَيِّقُوا عَلَيهِمْ بِأعْمالٍ شاقَّةٍ. وَبَنَى بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ مَدينَتَيْ مَخازِنَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ هُما فِيثُومُ وَرَعَمْسِيسُ.
So they set over taskmasters to afflict and oppress them with burdens. And built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.
12 و َبِالرُّغْمِ مِنْ مُضايِقَةِ المِصرِيِّينَ لَهُمْ كانُوا يَتَكاثَرُونَ وَيَزدادُونَ. فَصارَ المِصرِيُّونَ يَخافُونَ بَني إسْرائِيلَ.
But the more oppressed them, the more they multiplied and expanded, so that were vexed and alarmed because of the Israelites.
13 و َاستَعبَدُوا بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ وَأجبَرُوهُمْ عَلَى القِيامِ بِأعمالٍ شاقَّةٍ.
And the Egyptians reduced the Israelites to severe slavery.
14 و َجَعَلَ المِصرِيُّونَ حَياةَ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ مُرَّةً. أجبَرُوهُمْ عَلَى العَمَلِ فِي الطِّينِ وَالطُّوبِ وَكُلِّ أعمالِ الحُقُولِ. وَقَدْ قَسَوْا عَلَيهِمْ فِي جَميعِ الأعمالِ الَّتِي أجبَرُوهُمْ عَلَيها. القابِلَتانِ العِبرانِيَّتان
They made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar, brick, and all kinds of work in the field. All their service was with harshness and severity.
15 و َكانَتْ هُناكَ قابِلَتانِ عِبرانِيَّتانِ تُدْعَيانِ شِفْرَةَ وَفُوعَةَ. فَقالَ مَلِكُ مِصرَ لَهُما:
Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, of whom one was named Shiprah and the other Puah,
16 « حِينَ تُساعِدانِ النِّساءَ العِبْرانِيّاتِ فِي الوِلادَةِ وَهُنَّ عَلَى سَرِيرِ الوِلادَةِ، انْظُرا إلَى المَولودِ، فَإذا كانَ وَلَداً فاقتُلاهُ، وَإنْ بِنتاً فاترُكاها لِتَعِيشَ.»
When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, she shall live.
17 ل َكِنَّ القابِلَتَيْنِ كانَتا تَخافانِ اللهَ، فَلَمْ تَفعَلا كَما طَلَبَ مِنهُما مَلِكُ مِصرَ، بَلْ تَرَكَتا الأولادَ لِيَعِيشُوا.
But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded, but let the male babies live.
18 ف َدَعا مَلِكُ مِصْرَ القابِلَتَيْنِ وَقالَ لَهُما: «لِماذا عَمِلْتُما هَذِا وَتَرَكْتُما الأولادَ يَعِيشُونَ؟»
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, Why have you done this thing and allowed the male children to live?
19 ف َقالَتِ القابِلَتانِ لِفِرْعَونَ: «النِّساءُ العِبرانِيّاتُ لَسْنَ كَالمِصرِيّاتِ، فَهُنَّ قَوِيّاتٌ، فَيَلِدْنَ سَرِيعاً قَبلَ وُصُولِ القابِلاتِ.»
The midwives answered Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; they are vigorous and quickly delivered; their babies are born before the midwife comes to them.
20 و َبارَكَ اللهُ القابِلَتَيْنِ. وَكَثُرَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ وَصارُوا أقوِياءَ جِدّاً.
So God dealt well with the midwives and the people multiplied and became very strong.
21 و َأعطَى اللهُ عائِلاتٍ لِلقابِلَتَيْنِ لِأنَّهُما خافَتاهُ.
And because the midwives revered and feared God, He made them households.
22 ث ُمَّ أصدَرَ فِرعَوْنُ أمراً لِشَعبِهِ وَقالَ: «كُلُّ وَلَدٍ يُولَدُ لِلعِبْرانِيِّينَ، ألقُوهُ فِي نَهرِ النِّيلِ، وَاسْتَبقُوا حَياةَ البَناتِ فَقَطْ.»
Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son born you shall cast into the river, but every daughter you shall allow to live.