Eksodus
1 Ngoku ke, la ngamagama oonyana bakaSirayeli abafika eYiputa noYakobi, amagama endoda nganye eyeza nendlu yayo:+ 2 nguRubhen, uSimeyon, uLevi noYuda,+ 3 uIsakare, uZebhulon noBhenjamin, 4 uDan noNafetali, uGadi noAshere.+ 5 Xa bebonke abantu uYakobi awabazalelwayo* babeyi-70, kodwa uYosefu wayesele eseYiputa.+ 6 Ekugqibeleni uYosefu wafa,+ nabo bonke abantakwabo naso sonke eso sizukulwana. 7 Aqhama amaSirayeli,* anda aba maninzi kakhulu. Aqhubeka ephinda-phindeka yaye esiba namandla kakhulu ngokungaqhelekanga, kangangokuba ilizwe lagcwala ngawo.+
8 Ekuhambeni kwexesha kwavela ukumkani omtsha eYiputa owayengamazi uYosefu. 9 Lo kumkani wathi ebantwini bakhe: “Khanijonge! La maSirayeli maninzi yaye anamandla kunathi.+ 10 Masiwenzele amaqhinga, kungenjalo aza kuqhubeka esanda yaye ukuba kunokubakho imfazwe, aza kuncedisa iintshaba zethu, alwe nathi aze emke kweli lizwe.”
11 Ngoko babeka abaphathi abaza kuwasebenzisa ngenkani, bawacinezele ngomsebenzi oqobayo.+ Bathi mawakhe izixeko zikaFaro ezingoovimba ezizezi, iPitom neRahameses.+ 12 Kodwa okukhona babewacinezela, kokukhona ayesiya esanda ibe esasazeka, kangangokuba amaYiputa awoyika kakhulu amaSirayeli.+ 13 Ngenxa yoko amaYiputa awakhobokisa kakhulu amaSirayeli.+ 14 Awaphilisa kabuhlungu ngokuwasebenzisa nzima, esenza udaka lodongwe, izitena nawo wonke umsebenzi wobukhoboka entsimini. Awatsalisa nzima nyhani phantsi kweemeko ezimbi kakhulu, kuwo wonke umsebenzi wobukhoboka.+
15 Ethubeni ukumkani waseYiputa wathetha noShifra noPuwa, ababengabazalisikazi bamaHebhere, 16 wathi: “Xa nizalisa+ abafazi bamaHebhere, nibabona besesitulweni sokuzala, mbulaleni loo mntwana ukuba yinkwenkwe, kodwa ukuba yintombi, myekeni.” 17 Abazalisikazi boyika uThixo wokwenene baza abayenza loo nto babeyixelelwe ngukumkani waseYiputa. Abazange bababulale+ abantwana abangamakhwenkwe. 18 Ekuhambeni kwexesha ukumkani waseYiputa wababiza aba bazalisikazi, wathi kubo: “Kutheni ningababulalanga abantwana abangamakhwenkwe?” 19 Abazalisikazi bathi kuFaro: “Abafazi bamaHebhere abafani nabafazi bamaYiputa. Bomelele, bazala ngaphambi kokuba umzalisikazi afike kubo.”
20 UThixo waba nabo aba bazalisikazi, baza abantu baya besanda yaye besiba namandla kakhulu. 21 Ethubeni uThixo wabasikelela ngeentsapho aba bazalisikazi kuba babemoyikile uThixo wokwenene. 22 Ekugqibeleni uFaro wanika bonke abantu bakhe lo myalelo: “Baphoseni kuMlambo UmNayile bonke oonyana bamaHebhere abasandula ukuzalwa kodwa niwagcine ephila+ onke amantombazana.”