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 Comes to Egypt

These are the names of the sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who came with him to Egypt with their families: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. Joseph was already in Egypt. The total number of Jacob’s descendants was 70.

Eventually, Joseph, all his brothers, and that entire generation died. But the descendants of Israel had many children. They became so numerous and strong that the land was filled with them.

The Israelites Become Slaves

Then a new king, who knew nothing about Joseph, began to rule in Egypt. He said to his people, “There are too many Israelites, and they are stronger than we are. 10 We have to outsmart them, or they’ll increase in number. Then, if war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”

11 So the Egyptians put slave drivers in charge of them in order to oppress them through forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more the Israelites were oppressed, the more they increased in number and spread out. The Egyptians couldn’t stand them any longer. 13 So they forced the Israelites to work hard as slaves. 14 They made their lives bitter with back-breaking work in mortar and bricks and every kind of work in the fields. All the jobs the Egyptians gave them were brutally hard.

Pharaoh Tells the Midwives to Kill All Hebrew Baby Boys

15 Then the king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth, look at the child when you deliver it. If it’s a boy, kill it, but if it’s a girl, let it live.”

17 However, the midwives feared Elohim and didn’t obey the king of Egypt’s orders. They let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. He 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 so healthy that they have their babies before a midwife arrives.”

20 Elohim was good to the midwives. So the people increased in number and became very strong. 21 Because the midwives feared Elohim, he gave them families of their own.

22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people to throw into the Nile every Hebrew boy that was born, but to let every girl live.