U-Eksodusi 1

₁Lawa angamagama amadodana ka-Israyeli afika eGibithe noJakobe; yileyo naleyo yafika nomuzi wayo: ₂ngoRubeni, noSimeyoni, noLevi, noJuda, ₃no-Isakare, noZebuloni, noBenjamini, ₄noDani, noNafetali, noGadi, no-Asheri. ₅Bonke abantu abaphuma okhalweni lukaJakobe babe ngabantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa; uJosefa wayeseGibithe.

₆UJosefa wafa, nabo bonke abafowabo, naso sonke leso sizukulwane. ₇Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bazala, bachuma, banda, baba baningi; izwe lagcwala bona.

₈Kwavela inkosi entsha eGibithe eyayingamazi uJosefa. ₉Yathi kubantu bayo: “Bhekani, abantu babantwana bakwa-Israyeli baningi, futhi banamandla kunathi; ₁₀masizihlakaniphele maqondana nabo, funa bande, kuze kuthi lapho kuphuma impi, bahlangane nezitha zethu, balwe nathi, bamuke ezweni.”

₁₁Kwase kubekwa phezu kwabo izinduna zokubasebenzisa ezabahlupha ngemithwalo yazo. Bamakhela uFaro imizi yokubekelela, iPitomu neRamesesi. ₁₂Kepha ngokubahlupha kwazo kwaba yikhona banda, basabalala; baba novalo ngabantwana bakwa-Israyeli. ₁₃AbaseGibithe babakhonzisa abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ngamandla. ₁₄Benza ukuphila kwabo kwaba munyu ngemisebenzi esindayo odakeni nasezitinini, nangemisebenzi yonke yasendle, yebo, yonke imisebenzi yabo ababebakhonzisa ngayo.

₁₅Inkosi yaseGibithe yakhuluma kubabelethisi bamaHeberukazi, igama lomunye wabo linguShifira, elomunye linguPhuwa, ₁₆yathi: “Nxa nibelethisa amaHeberukazi, niwabona esesihlalweni sokubeletha, uma kuyindodana, anoyibulala, kepha uma kuyindodakazi, izakuphila.” ₁₇Kodwa ababelethisi babemesaba uNkulunkulu, abenzanga njengalokho yasho kubo inkosi yaseGibithe, babasindisa abafana. ₁₈Inkosi yaseGibithe yayisibiza ababelethisi, yathi kubo: “Nenzeleni lokhu, nasindisa abafana, na?”

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

₂₀UNkulunkulu wabenzela ababelethisi okuhle; abantu banda, baba baningi kakhulu. ₂₁Kwathi ngokuba ababelethisi bamesaba uNkulunkulu, wabavusela imizi.

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