Exodus - Chapter 1

Verse 1: Lawa angamagama amadodana ka-Israyeli afika eGibithe noJakobe; yileyo naleyo yafika nomuzi wayo:

Verse 2: ngoRubeni, noSimeyoni, noLevi, noJuda,

Verse 3: no-Isakare, noZebuloni, noBenjamini,

Verse 4: noDani, noNafetali, noGadi, no-Asheri.

Verse 5: Bonke abantu abaphuma okhalweni lukaJakobe babe ngabantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa; uJosefa wayeseGibithe.

Verse 6: UJosefa wafa, nabo bonke abafowabo, naso sonke leso sizukulwane.

Verse 7: Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bazala, bachuma, banda, baba baningi; izwe lagcwala bona.

Verse 8: Kwavela inkosi entsha eGibithe eyayingamazi uJosefa.

Verse 9: Yathi kubantu bayo: “Bhekani, abantu babantwana bakwa-Israyeli baningi, futhi banamandla kunathi;

Verse 10: masizihlakaniphele maqondana nabo, funa bande, kuze kuthi lapho kuphuma impi, bahlangane nezitha zethu, balwe nathi, bamuke ezweni.”

Verse 11: Kwase kubekwa phezu kwabo izinduna zokubasebenzisa ezabahlupha ngemithwalo yazo. Bamakhela uFaro imizi yokubekelela, iPitomu neRamsesi.

Verse 12: Kepha ngokubahlupha kwazo kwaba yikhona banda, basabalala; baba novalo ngabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.

Verse 13: AbaseGibithe babakhonzisa abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ngamandla.

Verse 14: Benza ukuphila kwabo kwaba munyu ngemisebenzi esindayo odakeni nasezitinini, nangemisebenzi yonke yasendle, yebo, yonke imisebenzi yabo ababebakhonzisa ngayo.

Verse 15: Inkosi yaseGibithe yakhuluma kubabelethisi bamaHeberukazi, igama lomunye wabo linguShifira, elomunye linguPhuwa,

Verse 16: yathi: “Nxa nibelethisa amaHeberukazi, niwabona esesihlalweni sokubeletha, uma kuyindodana, anoyibulala, kepha uma kuyindodakazi, izakuphila.”

Verse 17: Kodwa ababelethisi babemesaba uNkulunkulu, abenzanga njengalokho yasho kubo inkosi yaseGibithe, babasindisa abafana.

Verse 18: Inkosi yaseGibithe yayisibiza ababelethisi, yathi kubo: “Nenzeleni lokhu, nasindisa abafana, na?”

Verse 19: Ababelethisi bathi kuFaro: “Kungokuba amaHeberukazi engenjengabaseGibithe; anamandla, abeletha, engakafiki umbelethisi kuwo.”

Verse 20: UNkulunkulu wabenzela ababelethisi okuhle; abantu banda, baba baningi kakhulu.

Verse 21: Kwathi ngokuba ababelethisi bamesaba uNkulunkulu, wabavusela imizi.

Verse 22: UFaro wayesebayala abantu bakhe bonke, ethi: “Bonke abafana abazalwayo anobaphonsa emfuleni, kepha amantombazana niwasindise onke.”