Liber Exodus, 1

1. Haec sunt nomina filiorum Is rael, qui ingressi sunt Aegyp tum cum Iacob; singuli cum domibus suis introierunt:

1. These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:

2. Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Iuda,

2. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

3. Issachar, Zabulon et Beniamin,

3. Is'sachar, Zeb'ulun, and Benjamin,

4. Dan et Nephthali, Gad et Aser.

4. Dan and Naph'tali, Gad and Asher.

5. Erant igitur omnes animae eorum, qui egressi sunt de femore Iacob, septuaginta; Ioseph autem in Aegypto erat.

5. All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt.

6. Quo mortuo et universis fratribus eius omnique cognatione illa,

6. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.

7. filii Israel creverunt et pullulantes multiplicati sunt ac roborati nimis impleverunt terram.

7. But the descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong; so that the land was filled with them.

8. Surrexit interea rex novus super Aegyptum, qui ignorabat Ioseph;

8. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

9. et ait ad populum suum: “Ecce, populus filiorum Israel multus et fortior nobis est;

9. And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.

10. venite, prudenter agamus cum eo, ne forte multiplicetur et, si ingruerit contra nos bellum, addatur inimicis nostris, expugnatisque nobis, egrediatur de terra”.

10. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war befall us, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land."

11. Praeposuit itaque eis magistros operum, ut affligerent eos oneribus; aedificaveruntque urbes promptuarias pharaoni, Phithom et Ramesses.

11. Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens; and they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Ra-am'ses.

12. Quantoque opprimebant eos, tanto magis multiplicabantur et crescebant.

12. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.

13. Formidaveruntque filios Israel Aegyptii et in servitutem redegerunt eos

13. So they made the people of Israel serve with rigor,

14. atque ad amaritudinem perducebant vitam eorum operibus duris luti et lateris omnique famulatu, quo in terrae operibus premebantur.

14. and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field; in all their work they made them serve with rigor.

15. Dixit autem rex Aegypti obstetricibus Hebraeorum, quarum una vocabatur Sephra, altera Phua,

15. Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiph'rah and the other Pu'ah,

16. praecipiens eis: “Quando obstetricabitis Hebraeas, et partus tempus advenerit, si masculus fuerit, interficite eum; si femina, reservate”.

16. "When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, she shall live."

17. Timuerunt autem obstetrices Deum et non fecerunt iuxta praeceptum regis Aegypti, sed conservabant mares.

17. But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.

18. Quibus ad se accersitis rex ait: “Quidnam est hoc, quod facere voluistis, ut pueros servaretis?”.

18. So the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the male children live?"

19. Quae responderunt: “Non sunt Hebraeae sicut Aegyptiae mulieres; ipsae enim robustae sunt et, priusquam veniamus ad eas, pariunt”.

19. The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and are delivered before the midwife comes to them."

20. Bene ergo fecit Deus obstetricibus, et crevit populus confortatusque est nimis;

20. So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and grew very strong.

21. et, quia timuerunt obstetrices Deum, aedificavit illis domos.

21. And because the midwives feared God he gave them families.

22. Praecepit ergo pharao omni populo suo dicens: “Quidquid masculini sexus natum fuerit, in flumen proicite; quidquid feminei, reservate”.

22. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live."