Eksodusi

Isahluko 1

Lawa angamagama amadodana ka-Israyeli afika eGibithe noJakobe; yileyo naleyo yafika nomuzi wayo:
2 ngoRubeni, noSimeyoni, noLevi, noJuda,
3 no-Isakare, noZebuloni, noBenjamini,
4 noDani, noNafetali, noGadi, no-Asheri.
5 Bonke abantu abaphuma okhalweni lukaJakobe babe ngabantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa; uJosefa wayeseGibithe.
6 UJosefa wafa, nabo bonke abafowabo, naso sonke leso sizukulwane.
7 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bazala, bachuma, banda, baba baningi; izwe lagcwala bona.
8 Kwavela inkosi entsha eGibithe eyayingamazi uJosefa.
9 Yathi kubantu bayo: “Bhekani, abantu babantwana bakwa-Israyeli baningi, futhi banamandla kunathi;
10 masizihlakaniphele maqondana nabo, funa bande, kuze kuthi lapho kuphuma impi, bahlangane nezitha zethu, balwe nathi, bamuke ezweni.”
11 Kwase kubekwa phezu kwabo izinduna zokubasebenzisa ezabahlupha ngemithwalo yazo. Bamakhela uFaro imizi yokubekelela, iPitomu neRamsesi.
12 Kepha ngokubahlupha kwazo kwaba yikhona banda, basabalala; baba novalo ngabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
13 AbaseGibithe babakhonzisa abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ngamandla.
14 Benza ukuphila kwabo kwaba munyu ngemisebenzi esindayo odakeni nasezitinini, nangemisebenzi yonke yasendle, yebo, yonke imisebenzi yabo ababebakhonzisa ngayo.
15 Inkosi yaseGibithe yakhuluma kubabelethisi bamaHeberukazi, igama lomunye wabo linguShifira, elomunye linguPhuwa,
16 yathi: “Nxa nibelethisa amaHeberukazi, niwabona esesihlalweni sokubeletha, uma kuyindodana, anoyibulala, kepha uma kuyindodakazi, izakuphila.”
17 Kodwa ababelethisi babemesaba uNkulunkulu, abenzanga njengalokho yasho kubo inkosi yaseGibithe, babasindisa abafana.
18 Inkosi yaseGibithe yayisibiza ababelethisi, yathi kubo: “Nenzeleni lokhu, nasindisa abafana, na?”
19 Ababelethisi bathi kuFaro: “Kungokuba amaHeberukazi engenjengabaseGibithe; anamandla, abeletha, engakafiki umbelethisi kuwo.”
20 UNkulunkulu wabenzela ababelethisi okuhle; abantu banda, baba baningi kakhulu.
21 Kwathi ngokuba ababelethisi bamesaba uNkulunkulu, wabavusela imizi.
22 UFaro wayesebayala abantu bakhe bonke, ethi: “Bonke abafana abazalwayo anobaphonsa emfuleni, kepha amantombazana niwasindise onke.”