1 T hese are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob. Each one came with those of his house:

Ora, estes são os nomes dos filhos de Israel, que entraram no Egito; entraram com Jacó, cada um com a sua família:

2 R euben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,

Rúben, Simeão, Levi, e Judá;

3 I ssachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,

Issacar, Zebulom e Benjamim;

4 D an, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

Dã e Naftali, Gade e Aser.

5 T here were seventy people in Jacob’s family. But Joseph was already in Egypt.

Todas as almas, pois, que procederam da coxa de Jacó, foram setenta; José, porém, já estava no Egito.

6 J oseph and all his brothers died and all their families of that time.

Morreu, pois, José, e todos os seus irmãos, e toda aquela geração.

7 B ut the sons of Israel had many children, and the people became many in number. There were so many that the land was filled with them.

Depois os filhos de Israel frutificaram e aumentaram muito, multiplicaram-se e tornaram-se sobremaneira fortes, de modo que a terra se encheu deles.

8 T hen a new king came into power over Egypt. He did not know Joseph.

Entrementes se levantou sobre o Egito um novo rei, que não conhecera a José.

9 H e said to his people, “See, the people of Israel are too many and too powerful for us.

Disse ele ao seu povo: Eis que o povo de Israel é mais numeroso e mais forte do que nos.

10 C ome, let us be wise in how we act towards them, or they will become more in number. If there is a war, they might join with those who hate us. They might fight against us and then leave the land.”

Eia, usemos de astúcia para com ele, para que não se multiplique, e aconteça que, vindo guerra, ele também se ajunte com os nossos inimigos, e peleje contra nós e se retire da terra.

11 S o they put men in power over them to make them work hard. And they built the store-cities Pithom and Raamses for Pharaoh the king.

Portanto puseram sobre eles feitores, para os afligirem com suas cargas. Assim os israelitas edificaram para Faraó cidades armazéns, Pitom e Ramessés.

12 B ut the more the Egyptians made them suffer, the more they became until they spread throughout the land. So the Egyptians were afraid of the people of Israel.

Mas quanto mais os egípcios afligiam o povo de Israel, tanto mais este se multiplicava e se espalhava; de maneira que os egípcios se enfadavam por causa dos filhos de Israel.

13 T he Egyptians made the people of Israel work very hard.

Por isso os egípcios faziam os filhos de Israel servir com dureza;

14 T hey made their lives bitter with hard work building with stones and with all kinds of work in the field. They made them work very hard.

assim lhes amarguravam a vida com pesados serviços em barro e em tijolos, e com toda sorte de trabalho no campo, enfim com todo o seu serviço, em que os faziam servir com dureza.

15 T hen the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew nurses. The name of one was Shiphrah. The name of the other was Puah.

Falou o rei do Egito

16 H e said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth, and see the baby before the mother does, if it is a son, kill him. But if it is a daughter, let her live.”

dizendo: Quando ajudardes no parto as hebréias, e as virdes sobre os assentos, se for filho, matá-lo-eis; mas se for filha, viverá.

17 B ut the nurses feared God. They did not do what the king of Egypt told them. They let the boys live.

As parteiras, porém, temeram a Deus e não fizeram como o rei do Egito lhes ordenara, antes conservavam os meninos com vida.

18 S o the king of Egypt called the nurses and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the boys live?”

Pelo que o rei do Egito mandou chamar as parteiras e as interrogou: Por que tendes feito isto e guardado os meninos com vida?

19 T he nurses answered Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They are strong. They give birth before the nurse comes to them.”

Responderam as parteiras a Faraó: É que as mulheres hebréias não são como as egípcias; pois são vigorosas, e já têm dado ã luz antes que a parteira chegue a elas.

20 S o God was good to the nurses. And the people became many and strong.

Portanto Deus fez bem

21 B ecause the nurses feared God, He gave them families.

Também aconteceu que, como as parteiras temeram a Deus, ele lhes estabeleceu as casas.

22 T hen Pharaoh told all his people, “Throw every son who is born to the Hebrews into the Nile. But keep every daughter alive.”

Então ordenou Faraó a todo o seu povo, dizendo: A todos os filhos que nascerem lançareis no rio, mas a todas as filhas guardareis com vida.