以色列人受欺壓

以色列的眾子帶著家眷跟雅各[a]一起去了埃及,以下是他們的名字: 呂便、西緬、利未、猶大、 以薩迦、西布倫、便雅憫、 但、拿弗他利、迦得、亞設。 雅各的子孫總共有七十人。那時,約瑟已經住在埃及。 後來,約瑟和他的弟兄以及同輩的人都相繼去世。 以色列人生養眾多,人口大增,很快就遍佈埃及,成為一個強大的民族。 那時,埃及有一位不認識約瑟的新王登基, 對他的百姓說:「你們看,以色列人比我們多,又比我們強。 10 來吧!我們要設法阻止他們人口增長,否則一遇到戰爭,他們便會加入我們敵人的陣營來攻打我們,然後一走了之。」

11 於是,埃及人派監工強迫以色列人服勞役,在比東和蘭塞兩地為法老興建儲貨城。 12 以色列人越受奴役,人口增長得越快,散居的範圍也越廣,令埃及人感到恐懼。 13 於是,埃及人更殘酷地奴役他們, 14 強迫他們和泥造磚,並做田間一切的苦工,使他們痛苦不堪。 15 埃及王又命令兩個希伯來的接生婆施弗拉和普阿: 16 「你們在替希伯來婦女接生的時候,如果看到生下的是男嬰,就把他殺掉;如果是女嬰,就讓她活下來。」 17 但這兩個接生婆敬畏上帝,沒有執行王的命令,而是保留了男嬰的性命。 18 埃及王召見那兩個接生婆,質問她們:「你們為什麼這樣做?為什麼讓男嬰活著?」 19 她們回答說:「因為希伯來婦女跟埃及婦女不同。她們身體強健,我們還沒有趕到,嬰兒就生下來了。」 20-21 因此,以色列人口繼續增加,更加繁盛。因為這兩個接生婆敬畏上帝,上帝便賜福給她們,使她們生兒育女。 22 後來,法老命令全埃及的人把以色列人生的所有男嬰都拋進尼羅河裡,只讓女嬰活著。

Footnotes

  1. 1·1 雅各」就是「以色列」,上帝為雅各改名以色列,故事參考創世記32·28

Israel Oppressed in Egypt

These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; each came with his family:(A)

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.

The total number of Jacob’s descendants[a] was seventy;[b](B) Joseph was already in Egypt.

Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation eventually died.(C) But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous(D) so that the land was filled with them.

A new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. He said to his people, ‘Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are.(E) 10 Come, let’s deal shrewdly with them; otherwise they will multiply further, and when war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.’(F) 11 So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labour.(G) They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities(H) for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread so that the Egyptians came to dread[c] the Israelites. 13 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly(I) 14 and made their lives bitter with difficult labour in brick and mortar and in all kinds of fieldwork. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them.(J)

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives – the first, whose name was Shiphrah, and the second, whose name was Puah –  16 ‘When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him, but if it’s a daughter, she may live.’ 17 The midwives, however, feared God(K) and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them;(L) they let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, ‘Why have you done this and let the boys live? ’

19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, ‘The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.’(M)

20 So God was good to the midwives,(N) and the people multiplied and became very numerous. 21 Since the midwives feared God, he gave them families.(O) 22 Pharaoh then commanded all his people, ‘You must throw every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile, but let every daughter live.’(P)

Footnotes

  1. 1:5 Lit of people issuing from Jacob’s loins
  2. 1:5 LXX, DSS read 75; Gn 46:27; Ac 7:14
  3. 1:12 Or Egyptians loathed

The Israelites Oppressed

These are the names of the sons of Israel(A) who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.(B) The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy[a] in all;(C) Joseph was already in Egypt.

Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,(D) but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers(E) and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.(F) “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous(G) for us.(H) 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly(I) with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”(J)

11 So they put slave masters(K) over them to oppress them with forced labor,(L) and they built Pithom and Rameses(M) as store cities(N) for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly.(O) 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor(P) in brick(Q) and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.(R)

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives,(S) whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”(T) 17 The midwives, however, feared(U) God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do;(V) they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”(W)

20 So God was kind to the midwives(X) and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared(Y) God, he gave them families(Z) of their own.

22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile,(AA) but let every girl live.”(AB)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 1:5 Masoretic Text (see also Gen. 46:27); Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14 and note at Gen. 46:27) seventy-five

Voici les noms des fils d'Israël, venus en Égypte avec Jacob et la famille de chacun d'eux:

Ruben, Siméon, Lévi, Juda,

Issacar, Zabulon, Benjamin,

Dan, Nephthali, Gad et Aser.

Les personnes issues de Jacob étaient au nombre de soixante-dix en tout. Joseph était alors en Égypte.

Joseph mourut, ainsi que tous ses frères et toute cette génération-là.

Les enfants d'Israël furent féconds et multiplièrent, ils s'accrurent et devinrent de plus en plus puissants. Et le pays en fut rempli.

Il s'éleva sur l'Égypte un nouveau roi, qui n'avait point connu Joseph.

Il dit à son peuple: Voilà les enfants d'Israël qui forment un peuple plus nombreux et plus puissant que nous.

10 Allons! montrons-nous habiles à son égard; empêchons qu'il ne s'accroisse, et que, s'il survient une guerre, il ne se joigne à nos ennemis, pour nous combattre et sortir ensuite du pays.

11 Et l'on établit sur lui des chefs de corvées, afin de l'accabler de travaux pénibles. C'est ainsi qu'il bâtit les villes de Pithom et de Ramsès, pour servir de magasins à Pharaon.

12 Mais plus on l'accablait, plus il multipliait et s'accroissait; et l'on prit en aversion les enfants d'Israël.

13 Alors les Égyptiens réduisirent les enfants d'Israël à une dure servitude.

14 Ils leur rendirent la vie amère par de rudes travaux en argile et en briques, et par tous les ouvrages des champs: et c'était avec cruauté qu'ils leur imposaient toutes ces charges.

15 Le roi d'Égypte parla aussi aux sages-femmes des Hébreux, nommées l'une Schiphra, et l'autre Pua.

16 Il leur dit: Quand vous accoucherez les femmes des Hébreux et que vous les verrez sur les sièges, si c'est un garçon, faites-le mourir; si c'est une fille, laissez-la vivre.

17 Mais les sages-femmes craignirent Dieu, et ne firent point ce que leur avait dit le roi d'Égypte; elles laissèrent vivre les enfants.

18 Le roi d'Égypte appela les sages-femmes, et leur dit: Pourquoi avez-vous agi ainsi, et avez-vous laissé vivre les enfants?

19 Les sages-femmes répondirent à Pharaon: C'est que les femmes des Hébreux ne sont pas comme les Égyptiennes; elles sont vigoureuses et elles accouchent avant l'arrivée de la sage-femme.

20 Dieu fit du bien aux sages-femmes; et le peuple multiplia et devint très nombreux.

21 Parce que les sages-femmes avaient eu la crainte de Dieu, Dieu fit prospérer leurs maisons.

22 Alors Pharaon donna cet ordre à tout son peuple: Vous jetterez dans le fleuve tout garçon qui naîtra, et vous laisserez vivre toutes les filles.