Eksodusi 1

₁Nankha-ke emabito emadvodzana aka-Israyeli laya eGibhithe ahamba neyise Jakobe, nguleyo naleyo ndvodzana beyihamba nemndeni wakayo: ₂bekuboRubeni, naSimeyoni, naLevi, naJuda, ₃na-Isakhari, naZebuloni, naBhenjamini, ₄naDani, naNaftali, naGadi, na-Asheri. ₅Sewuwonkhe umndeni wakaJakobe wawubantfu lababengema-70. Phela Josefa abesavele aseGibhithe. ₆Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi boJosefa, nabomnakabo, nalo lonkhe lelo butfo labo, lafa laphela. ₇Kodvwa titukulwane tabo, ema-Israyeli, tatalana, tandza, taba nemandla kakhulu, kangangobe live laseGibhithe lase ligcwele tona.

₈Kwase kubekwa inkhosi lensha eGibhithe, leyayingati lutfo ngaJosefa. ₉Yacaphelisa bantfu bayo, yatsi: “Bukani la, lama-Israyeli asandza kakhulu lapha eveni letfu, kantsi futsi anemandla kakhulu kunatsi, asayingoti kitsi. ₁₀Ase siwabuke ngalamanye emehlo, sente lisu, funa andze kakhulu, ngobe nakungesuka imphi, angahle asite letitsa tetfu, bese ayabaleka kulelive.” ₁₁Ngako-ke emaGibhithe agcilata ema-Israyeli ngekuwabekela tindvuna letatiwashayela njengetinkhabi, tiwahlupha ngekuwetfwesa imitfwalo lematima. Ema-Israyeli akhela boFaro iPhithomu neRamsesi lekwakutingungumadolobha. ₁₂Kodvwa kuwahlupha nekuwacindzetela lama-Israyeli kwawenta andza kakhulu, andza nalo lonkhe live. EmaGibhithe acala kuwesaba ema-Israyeli. ₁₃Ngako-ke emaGibhithe asebentisa sive sema-Israyeli ngesihluku; ₁₄imphilo yawo ayenta yababa ngekuwagcilata kamatima: awabhucisa ludzaka, awafolomisa netitini, awentisa yonkhe inhlobo yemisebenti yasemasimini. Kuko konkhe labekwenta emaGibhithe asebentisa ema-Israyeli kamatima.

₁₅Inkhosi yaseGibhithe yakhuluma kuboShifra naPhuwa, labo bekubabelekisi bebafati bemaHebheru, yatsi: ₁₆“Nanibelekisa bafati bemaHebheru, kubotsi luswane nalungumfana nilubulale, kodvwa naluyintfombatane ningalubulali.” ₁₇Kodvwa babelekisi besaba Nkulunkulu, ngako abazange bawente lomyalo wenkhosi, babengatibulali letinswane letibafana. ₁₈Ngako-ke inkhosi yababita lababelekisi, yababuta yatsi: “Nikwentelani loku? Anitibulali ngani letinswane letibafana?”

₁₉Babelekisi bayiphendvula inkhosi batsi: “Bafati bemaHebheru abafanani nebafati bemaGibhithe. Bafati bemaHebheru banemandla, babeleka masinyane umbelekisi asengakefiki.” ₂₀Ngako-ke Nkulunkulu waba nemusa kulababelekisi. Ema-Israyeli andza kakhulu, adlanga kuba nemandla. ₂₁Njengobe lababelekisi bamesaba Nkulunkulu, yena wabapha imiti. ₂₂Ngako-ke Faro wayala bonkhe bantfu bakhe, watsi: “Lonkhe luswane lwemHebheru lolungumfana lubotsi nalutalwa nilugcumukisele emfuleni iNayili, kodvwa luswane loluyintfombatane niboluyekela luphile.”