出埃及記 1
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
以色列人受欺壓
1 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： 2 呂便、西緬、利未、猶大、 3 以薩迦、西布倫、便雅憫、 4 但、拿弗他利、迦得、亞設。 5 雅各的子孫總共有七十人。那時，約瑟已經住在埃及。 6 後來，約瑟和他的弟兄以及同輩的人都相繼去世。 7 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。 8 那時，埃及有一位不認識約瑟的新王登基， 9 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。
出埃及 1
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
以色列人受欺压
1 以色列的众子带着家眷跟雅各[a]一起去了埃及，以下是他们的名字： 2 吕便、西缅、利未、犹大、 3 以萨迦、西布伦、便雅悯、 4 但、拿弗他利、迦得、亚设。 5 雅各的子孙总共有七十人。那时，约瑟已经住在埃及。 6 后来，约瑟和他的弟兄以及同辈的人都相继去世。 7 以色列人生养众多，人口大增，很快就遍布埃及，成为一个强大的民族。 8 那时，埃及有一位不认识约瑟的新王登基， 9 对他的百姓说：“你们看，以色列人比我们多，又比我们强。 10 来吧！我们要设法阻止他们人口增长，否则一遇到战争，他们便会加入我们敌人的阵营来攻打我们，然后一走了之。”
11 于是，埃及人派监工强迫以色列人服劳役，在比东和兰塞两地为法老兴建储货城。 12 以色列人越受奴役，人口增长得越快，散居的范围也越广，令埃及人感到恐惧。 13 于是，埃及人更残酷地奴役他们， 14 强迫他们和泥造砖，并做田间一切的苦工，使他们痛苦不堪。 15 埃及王又命令两个希伯来的接生婆施弗拉和普阿： 16 “你们在替希伯来妇女接生的时候，如果看到生下的是男婴，就把他杀掉；如果是女婴，就让她活下来。” 17 但这两个接生婆敬畏上帝，没有执行王的命令，而是保留了男婴的性命。 18 埃及王召见那两个接生婆，质问她们：“你们为什么这样做？为什么让男婴活着？” 19 她们回答说：“因为希伯来妇女跟埃及妇女不同。她们身体强健，我们还没有赶到，婴儿就生下来了。” 20-21 因此，以色列人口继续增加，更加繁盛。因为这两个接生婆敬畏上帝，上帝便赐福给她们，使她们生儿育女。 22 后来，法老命令全埃及的人把以色列人生的所有男婴都抛进尼罗河里，只让女婴活着。
Exodus 1
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
I. Introduction: The Oppression of the Israelites in Egypt
Chapter 1
Jacob’s Descendants in Egypt. 1 These are the names of the sons of Israel[a] who, accompanied by their households, entered into Egypt with Jacob: 2 [b]Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. 5 The total number of Jacob’s direct descendants[c] was seventy.(A) Joseph was already in Egypt.
6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and that whole generation died.(B) 7 But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific. They multiplied and became so very numerous that the land was filled with them.[d]
The Oppression. 8 (C)Then a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph,[e] rose to power in Egypt. 9 He said to his people, “See! The Israelite people have multiplied and become more numerous than we are! 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase;[f] otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave the land.”
11 Accordingly, they set supervisors over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor.(D) Thus they had to build for Pharaoh[g] the garrison cities of Pithom and Raamses. 12 Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians began to loathe the Israelites. 13 So the Egyptians reduced the Israelites to cruel slavery, 14 making life bitter for them with hard labor, at mortar[h] and brick and all kinds of field work—cruelly oppressed in all their labor.
Command to the Midwives. 15 The king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you act as midwives for the Hebrew women, look on the birthstool:[i] if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she may live.” 17 The midwives, however, feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt had ordered them, but let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this, allowing the boys to live?” 19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They are robust and give birth before the midwife arrives.” 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and grew very numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared God, God built up families for them. 22 Pharaoh then commanded all his people, “Throw into the Nile every boy that is born,(E) but you may let all the girls live.”
Footnotes
- 1:1 Sons of Israel: here literally the first-generation sons of Jacob/Israel. Cf. v. 5. However, beginning with v. 7 the same Hebrew phrase refers to Jacob’s more remote descendants; hence, from there on, it is ordinarily rendered “the Israelites.” Households: the family in its fullest sense, including wives, children and servants.
- 1:2 Jacob’s sons are listed here according to their respective mothers. Cf. Gn 29:31; 30:20; 35:16–26.
- 1:5 Direct descendants: lit., “persons coming from Jacob’s loins”; hence, wives of Jacob’s sons and servants are not included. Cf. Gn 46:26. Seventy: Gn 46:26, along with the Septuagint for the verse, agrees on a total of sixty-six coming down to Egypt with Jacob, but in v. 27 the Hebrew text adds the two sons born to Joseph in Egypt and presupposes Jacob himself and Joseph for a total of seventy; the Septuagint adds “nine sons” born to Joseph to get a total of seventy-five. This is the figure the Septuagint and 4QExa have here in Ex 1:5.
- 1:7 Fruitful…multiplied…the land was filled with them: the language used here to indicate the fecundity of the Israelite population echoes the divine blessing bestowed upon humanity at creation (Gn 1:28) and after the flood (Gn 9:1) as well as suggesting fulfillment of the promises to the ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gn 12:2; 13:16; 15:5; 28:14; passim).
- 1:8 Who knew nothing of Joseph: the nuance intended by the Hebrew verb “know” here goes beyond precise determination. The idea may be not simply that a new king came to power who had not heard of Joseph but that this king ignored the services that Joseph had rendered to Egypt, repudiating the special relationship that existed between Joseph and his predecessor on the throne.
- 1:10 Increase: Pharaoh’s actions thereby immediately pit him against God’s will for the Israelites to multiply; see note on v. 7 above.
- 1:11 Pharaoh: not a personal name, but a title common to all the kings of Egypt.
- 1:14 Mortar: either the wet clay with which the bricks were made, as in Na 3:14, or the cement used between the bricks in building, as in Gn 11:3.
- 1:16 Birthstool: apparently a pair of stones on which the mother is seated for childbirth opposite the midwife. The Hebrew word elsewhere is used to refer to the stones of a potter’s wheel.
Copyright © 2004 by World Bible Translation Center
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