Saadia · Shemot 1
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- Shemot 1:2
רְאוּבֵן שִׁמְעוֹן לֵוִי וִיהוּדָה
.
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
- Shemot 1:3
יִשָּׂשכָר זְבוּלֻן וּבִנְיָמִן
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
- Shemot 1:4
דָּן וְנַפְתָּלִי גָּד וְאָשֵׁר
Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
- Shemot 1:5
וַיְהִי כָּל-נֶפֶשׁ יֹצְאֵי יֶרֶךְ-יַעֲקֹב--שִׁבְעִים נָפֶשׁ וְיוֹסֵף הָיָה בְמִצְרָיִם
. .
And the sum of the souls — those issuing from the loins of Jacob — was seventy souls, together with Joseph, who was in Egypt.
- Shemot 1:6
וַיָּמָת יוֹסֵף וְכָל-אֶחָיו וְכֹל הַדּוֹר הַהוּא
.
And Joseph died, and all his brothers, and the rest of the people of that generation.
- Shemot 1:7
וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל פָּרוּ וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ וַיִּרְבּוּ וַיַּעַצְמוּ--בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ אֹתָם
. . .
And the sons of Israel bore fruit, and spread out, and multiplied, and grew strong — very, very — until that land was filled with them.
- Shemot 1:8
וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ-חָדָשׁ עַל-מִצְרָיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָדַע אֶת-יוֹסֵף
.
And a new king arose over Egypt, who had not seen Joseph.
- Shemot 1:9
וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-עַמּוֹ הִנֵּה עַם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל--רַב וְעָצוּם מִמֶּנּוּ
. .
And he said to his people: 'Behold, the people of the sons of Israel — they are more numerous and stronger than us.
- Shemot 1:10
הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ פֶּן-יִרְבֶּה וְהָיָה כִּי-תִקְרֶאנָה מִלְחָמָה וְנוֹסַף גַּם-הוּא עַל-שֹׂנְאֵינוּ וְנִלְחַם-בָּנוּ וְעָלָה מִן-הָאָרֶץ
. . .
Come, let us scheme against them, so that they shall not multiply; and it shall be, when war comes upon us, that they too will join with our enemies, and they shall war against us, and shall drive us out from the land.'
- Shemot 1:11
וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלָיו שָׂרֵי מִסִּים לְמַעַן עַנֹּתוֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָם וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת לְפַרְעֹה--אֶת-פִּתֹם וְאֶת-רַעַמְסֵס
. . .
And they appointed over them guards of tribute, so as to torment them with their burdens; and they built fortified storehouse-towns for Pharaoh — in al-Faiyum (Pithom) and in Ein Shams (Raamses).
- Shemot 1:12
וְכַאֲשֶׁר יְעַנּוּ אֹתוֹ כֵּן יִרְבֶּה וְכֵן יִפְרֹץ וַיָּקֻצוּ מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
. . .
And as much as they tormented them, so they multiplied and prospered — until [the Egyptians] were filled with dread before the sons of Israel.
- Shemot 1:13
וַיַּעֲבִדוּ מִצְרַיִם אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּפָרֶךְ
.
And the Egyptians pressed the sons of Israel into service with cruelty.
- Shemot 1:14
וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת-חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה בְּחֹמֶר וּבִלְבֵנִים וּבְכָל-עֲבֹדָה בַּשָּׂדֶה--אֵת כָּל-עֲבֹדָתָם אֲשֶׁר-עָבְדוּ בָהֶם בְּפָרֶךְ
. . . .
And they made their lives bitter with hard labor — with mortar and brick, and with all the labors of the open country; all their service which they pressed them into with cruelty.
- Shemot 1:15
וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם לַמְיַלְּדֹת הָעִבְרִיֹּת אֲשֶׁר שֵׁם הָאַחַת שִׁפְרָה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית פּוּעָה
. . .
And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives — the name of one of whom was Shiphrah, and the other Puah —
- Shemot 1:16
וַיֹּאמֶר בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן אֶת-הָעִבְרִיּוֹת וּרְאִיתֶן עַל-הָאָבְנָיִם אִם-בֵּן הוּא וַהֲמִתֶּן אֹתוֹ וְאִם-בַּת הִוא וָחָיָה
. . . .
He said: 'When you deliver the Hebrew women, look upon the birth-stool: if it be a son, then kill him; and if it be a daughter, then let her live.'
- Shemot 1:17
וַתִּירֶאןָ הַמְיַלְּדֹת אֶת-הָאֱלֹהִים וְלֹא עָשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵיהֶן מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם וַתְּחַיֶּיןָ אֶת-הַיְלָדִים
. .
But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; and they let the boys live.
- Shemot 1:18
וַיִּקְרָא מֶלֶךְ-מִצְרַיִם לַמְיַלְּדֹת וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶן מַדּוּעַ עֲשִׂיתֶן הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַתְּחַיֶּיןָ אֶת-הַיְלָדִים
. . .
And the king of Egypt called for them, and said to them: 'What is your concern that you have done this thing, and have let the boys live?'
- Shemot 1:19
וַתֹּאמַרְןָ הַמְיַלְּדֹת אֶל-פַּרְעֹה כִּי לֹא כַנָּשִׁים הַמִּצְרִיֹּת הָעִבְרִיֹּת כִּי-חָיוֹת הֵנָּה בְּטֶרֶם תָּבוֹא אֲלֵהֶן הַמְיַלֶּדֶת וְיָלָדוּ
. . . . .
They said to him: 'It is because — unlike the Egyptian women — the Hebrew women are skilled; before the midwife comes in to them, they have given birth.'
- Shemot 1:20
וַיֵּיטֶב אֱלֹהִים לַמְיַלְּדֹת וַיִּרֶב הָעָם וַיַּעַצְמוּ מְאֹד
. .
And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied, and grew very strong.
- Shemot 1:21
וַיְהִי כִּי-יָרְאוּ הַמְיַלְּדֹת אֶת-הָאֱלֹהִים וַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם בָּתִּים
.
And when the midwives feared God, He made for them houses where they would be sheltered.
- Shemot 1:22
וַיְצַו פַּרְעֹה לְכָל-עַמּוֹ לֵאמֹר כָּל-הַבֵּן הַיִּלּוֹד הַיְאֹרָה תַּשְׁלִיכֻהוּ וְכָל-הַבַּת תְּחַיּוּן
. . . .
And Pharaoh commanded all his officers, saying: 'Every son that is born to them — throw him into the Nile; and every daughter — let her live.'
English is a working draft — author revising