1 Awa ndi mayina a ana a Israeli amene anapita ku Igupto pamodzi ndi Yakobo abambo awo, aliyense ndi banja lake: 2 Rubeni, Simeoni, Levi, Yuda; 3 Isakara, Zebuloni, Benjamini; 4 Dani, Nafutali; Gadi ndi Aseri. 5 Anthu onse obadwa mwa Yakobo analipo 70. Yosefe nʼkuti ali kale ku Igupto.

6 Tsono Yosefe ndi abale ake onse ndiponso mʼbado wawo wonse anamwalira. 7 Koma Aisraeli anaberekana ndi kuchuluka kwambiri nakhala amphamvu kwambiri, kotero kuti anadzaza dzikolo.

8 Pambuyo pake mfumu yatsopano imene sinkamudziwa Yosefe, inayamba kulamulira dziko la Igupto. 9 Iyo inati kwa anthu ake, “Taonani, Aisraeli achuluka ndipo ndi amphamvu kwambiri kuposa ife. 10 Tiyeni tiwachenjerere. Tikapanda kutero adzachuluka kuposa ife, ndipo ngati kutakhala nkhondo, adzadziphatika kwa adani athu nadzamenyana nafe, kenaka nʼkudzachoka mʼdziko muno.”

11 Kotero anayika akapitawo kuti aziwazunza ndi kuwagwiritsa ntchito yolemetsa mokakamiza. Iwo anamangira Farao mizinda ya Pitomu ndi Ramesesi kumene ankasungirako chakudya. 12 Koma pamene ankawazunza kwambiri, Aisraeli ndiye ankachulukirachulukira mpaka kubalalikira mʼdziko lonse. Kotero Aigupto anayamba kuopa Aisraeliwo 13 ndipo anawagwiritsa ntchito mwankhanza kwambiri. 14 Aigupto anachititsa moyo wa Aisraeli kukhala owawa kwambiri powagwiritsa ntchito yakalavulagaga yowumba njerwa ndi kuponda dothi lomangira, pamodzi ndi ntchito zina zosiyanasiyana zamʼminda. Iwo anakakamiza Aisraeli mwankhanza kuti agwire ntchito yowawayi.

15 Mfumu ya Igupto inati kwa azamba a Chihebri omwe mayina awo anali Sifira ndi Puwa, 16 “Mukamathandiza amayi a Chihebri pa mwala wochirira, muzionetsetsa kuti akabadwa mwana wamwamuna muzipha, koma akakhala wamkazi muzimuleka akhale ndi moyo.” 17 Koma azambawo ankaopa Mulungu ndipo sanachite zimene mfumu ya Igupto inawawuza kuti achite. Iwo analeka ana aamuna kuti akhale ndi moyo. 18 Kenaka mfumu ya Igupto inayitanitsa azamba aja ndi kuwafunsa kuti, “Chifukwa chiyani mwachita zimenezi? Bwanji mwasiya ana aamuna kuti akhale ndi moyo?”

19 Azambawo anamuyankha Farao kuti, “Amayi a Chihebri sali ngati amayi a Chiigupto; Iwo ndi amphamvu ndipo amachira azamba asanafike.”

20 Kotero Mulungu anawakomera mtima azambawo, ndipo Aisraeli anapitirirabe kuchulukana nakhala amphamvu kwambiri. 21 Pakuti azambawo ankaopa Mulungu, Iye anawapatsa mabanja awoawo.

22 Pamenepo Farao analamulira anthu ake onse kuti, “Mwana wamwamuna aliyense akabadwa, mukamuponye mu mtsinje wa Nailo, koma wamkazi mulekeni akhale ndi moyo.”