Eksodusi
1:1 Manje lawa amagama abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, abangena
iGibhithe; wonke umuntu nendlu yakhe beza noJakobe.
1:2 oRubeni, noSimeyoni, noLevi, noJuda,
1:3 u-Isakare, noZebuloni, noBenjamini,
1:4 uDani, noNafetali, noGadi, no-Asheri.
1:5 Futhi yonke imiphefumulo eyaphuma okhalweni lukaJakobe yayingamashumi ayisikhombisa
imiphefumulo: ngokuba uJosefa wayeseGibithe.
1:6 UJosefa wafa, nabo bonke abafowabo, naso sonke leso sizukulwane.
1:7 Futhi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bazala, futhi anda kakhulu, futhi
wanda, waba namandla amakhulu; izwe lagcwala
bona.
1:8 Manje kwavela inkosi entsha phezu kweGibhithe, eyayingamazi uJosefa.
1:9 Wathi kubantu bakhe: "Bheka, abantu babantwana bakwa
U-Israyeli mkhulu futhi unamandla kunathi.
1:10 Wozani, masibenzele ngokuhlakanipha; funa bande, bese kufika
ukuze kuthi, nxa kuvuka impi, bahlanganyele nathi
izitha, nilwe nathi, futhi kanjalo nikhuphuke niphume ezweni.
1:11 Ngakho bamisa phezu kwabo izinduna zemisebenzi ukuze babahluphe ngezenzo zabo
imithwalo. Bamakhela uFaro imizi eyingcebo, iPithomu neRamesesi.
1:12 Kodwa lapho babahlupha kakhulu, kulapho banda futhi bakhula. Futhi
badabuka ngenxa yabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
1:13 AbaseGibithe benza abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bakhonze kanzima.
1:14 Benza ukuphila kwabo kwaba munyu ngobugqila obunzima, odakeni, nangaphakathi
isitini, nakuzo zonke izinhlobo zenkonzo yasendle, yonke imisebenzi yabo,
lapho ababebenze bakhonze khona, lalilukhuni.
1:15 Inkosi yaseGibithe yakhuluma kubabelethisi bamaHeberu, igama layo
igama lomunye lalinguShifra, igama lomunye lalinguPhuwa;
1:16 Wathi, "Nxa nizalisa amaHeberukazi, futhi
babone phezu kwezihlalo; uma kuyindodana, niyibulale;
kube yindodakazi, khona-ke iyakuphila.
1:17 Kodwa ababelethisi babemesaba uNkulunkulu, futhi akenzanga njengoba inkosi yaseGibhithe yayiyalile
kodwa wasindisa amadodana abantwana.
1:18 Inkosi yaseGibithe yayisibiza ababelethisi, yathi kubo: "Kungani
Seniyenzile le nto, nasindisa amadodana na?
1:19 Ababelethisi bathi kuFaro: "Ngokuba abesifazane bamaHeberu abanjengawe."
abesifazane baseGibithe; ngoba bayaphila, futhi bayakhululwa phambi kukaJehova
bangene kubo ababelethisi.
1:20 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wabenzela okuhle ababelethisi, futhi abantu banda.
futhi waba namandla kakhulu.
1:21 Kwathi, ngokuba ababelethisi babemesaba uNkulunkulu, wabenza
izindlu.
1:22 UFaro wabayala bonke abantu bakhe, wathi: "Bonke abafana abazalwayo."
niyakuphonsa emfuleni, nawo onke amadodakazi niwasindise.