וְאִילֵין שְׁמָהַת בְּנֵי יִשְרָאֵל דְעָלוּ לְמִצְרַיִם עִם יַעֲקב גְבַר עִם אֱנַשׁ בֵּיתֵיהּ עָלוּ AND these are the names of the sons of Israel who went into Mizraim with Jakob, each with the men of his house entered in:
רְאוּבֵן שִׁמְעוֹן לֵוִי וִיהוּדָה Reuben, Shimeon, Levi, and Jehudah;
יִשָשׁכָר זְבוּלֻן וּבִנְיָמִין Issakar, Zebulon, and Benjamin;
דָן וְנַפְתָּלִי גָד וְאָשֵׁר Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.
וַהֲוָה סְכוּם כָּל נַפְשָׁתָא נַפְקֵי יַרְכָא דְיַעֲקב שׁוּבְעִין נַפְשָׁתָא עִם יוֹסֵף וּבְנוֹהִי דַהֲוָה בְּמִצְרַיִם And the number of all the souls coming from the thigh of Jakob, seventy souls, with Joseph and his sons, who were in Mizraim.
וּמִית יוֹסֵף וּבַתְרֵיהּ מִיתוּ כָּל אֲחוֹהִי וְכָל דָרָא הַהוּא And Joseph died, and after him died all his brethren, and all that generation.
וּבְנוֹי דְיִשְרָאֵל נְפִישׁוּ וְאִתְיְלִידוּ וּסְגוּ וְאִתְקִיפוּן לַחֲדָא לַחֲדָא וְאִתְמְלִיאַת אַרְעָא מִנְהוֹן And the souls of Israel increased, and multiplied children, and became strong, and prevailed greatly, and the land was filled with them.
וְקָם מִלִיךְ חָדַת כְּמִין שֵׁירוּיָא עַל מִצְרַיִם דְלָא חֲכִּים יַת יוֹסֵף וְלָא הֲלִיךְ בְּנִימוּסוֹי And there arose a new king (other) than he who was formerly over Mizraim, who took no knowledge of Joseph, and walked not in his laws.
וַאֲמַר לְעַמֵיהּ הָא עַמָא בֵּית יִשְרָאֵל סַגִיאִין וְתַקְפִין יַתִּיר מִינָן And he said to his people, Behold now, the people of the house of Israel are many, and are stronger than we.
אִיתוֹן כְּדוֹן נִתְיַעַט עֲלֵיהוֹן בְּהִלֵן דִינִין נַזְעַר יַתְהוֹן קֳדָם עַד לָא יִסְגוֹן וְיֶהֱוֵי אֲרוּם יָתָן סִדְרֵי קְרָבָא וְיִתּוֹסְפוּן לְחוֹד הִינוּן עַל סַנְאֵינָן וִישֵׁיצוּן יָתָנָא וְלָא יְשַׁיְירוּן מִינָן אוּף לָא חָד וּמִן בָּתַר כְּדֵין יִפְקוּן לְהוֹן מִן אַרְעָא Come, let us take counsel against them in these matters, to diminish them that they multiply not, so as that, should war be arrayed against us, they be not added to our adversaries, and destroy us that not one of us be left, and they afterward go forth from the land.
וְשַׁווּן עֲלֵיהוֹן רַבְרְבָנִין מְפַלְחָנִין מִן בִּגְלַל לְמִצְעֲרָא יַתְהוֹן בְּשִׁעֲבּוּדְהוֹן וּבִנְיַין קוּרְיַין תְלִילִין לְשׁוּם בֵּית אוֹצְרוֹי דְפַרְעה יַת טָאנֵיס וְיַת פִּילוּסִין And they set over them work-masters to afflict them in their servitude; and they builded walled cities to become Pharoh's treasure-places, Tanis and Pilusin.
וְהֵיכְמָא דִמְעַנְיַין לְהוֹן הֵיכְדֵין הֲווֹן סָגַן וְהֵיכְדַין הֲווֹן תַּקְפִין וְאִתְיַעֲקוּ מִצְרָאֵי בְּחַיֵיהוֹן מִן קֳדָם בְּנֵי יִשְרָאֵל But as much as they depressed them, so much they multiplied, and so much they prevailed, and the Mizraee were troubled in their lives before the sons of Israel.
וְשַׁעֲבִּידוּ מִצְרָאֵי יַת בְּנֵי יִשְרָאֵל בְּקַשְׁיוּ And the Mizraee enslaved the sons of Israel,
וְאַמְרָרוּ יַת חַיֵיהוֹן בְּפוּלְחָנָא קַשְׁיָא בְּטִינָא וּבְלִיבְנִין וּבְכָל פּוּלְחָנָא בְּאַנְפֵּי בָרָא יַת כָּל פּוּלְחַנְהוֹן הֲווֹן מְפַלְחִין בְּהוֹן בְּקַשְׁיוּ and made their lives bitter by hard service in clay and bricks, and all the labour of the face of the field; and in all the work which they made them do was hardness.
וַאֲמַר פַּרְעה דָמָךְ הֲוָה חָמֵי בְּחֵילְמֵיהּ וְהָא כָּל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרַיִם קַיְימָא בְּכַף מוֹדָנָא חֲדָא וְטַלְיָא בַּר אִימְרָתָא בְּכַף מוֹדָנָא חֲדָא וַהֲוַת כַּרְעָא כַּף מוֹדָנָא מְטַלְיָא בְּגַוָה מִן יַד שָׁדַר וּקְרָא כָּל חַרְשֵׁי מִצְרַיִם וְתָנֵי לְהוֹן יַת חוּלְמֵיהּ מִן יַד פַּתְחִין פּוּמְהוֹן יֵינִיס וְיִמְבְּרֵס רֵישֵׁי חַרְשַׁיָא וְאָמְרִין לְפַרְעה בִּיר חַד עָתִיד לְמֶהֱוֵי מִתְיְלִיד בִּכְנִישַׁתְהוֹן דְיִשְרָאֵל דְעַל יְדוֹ עֲתִידָא לִמְחַרְבָא כָּל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרַיִם וּבְגִין כֵּן אִתְיַעַט פַּרְעה מַלְכָּא דְמִצְרַיִם לְחַיָיתָא יְהוֹדַיְיתָא דִשְׁמָא דְחָדָא שִׁפְרָה הִיא יוֹכֶבֶד וּשְׁמָא דְתִּנְיֵיתָא פּוּעָה הִיא מִרְיָם בְּרַתָּה And Pharoh told that he, being asleep, had seen in his dream, and, behold, all the land of Mizraim was placed in one scale of a balance, and a lamb, the young of a sheep, was ill the other scale; and the scale with the lamb in it overweighed. Forthwith he sent and called all the magicians of Mizraim, and imparted to them his dream. Immediately Jannis and Jambres, the chief of the magicians, opened their mouth and answered Pharoh,?A certain child is about to be born in the congregation of Israel, by whose hand will be destruc-tion to all the land of Mizraim. Therefore did Pharoh, king of Mizraim, give counsel to the Jehudith midwives, the name of one of whom was Shifra, who is Jokeved, and the name of the other Puvah, who is Miriam her daughter.
וַאֲמַר כַּד תֶּהֱוְיַין מוֹלְדָן יַת יְהוֹדַיְיתָא וְתִיסְתְּכִין עַלוֹי מַתְבְּרָא אִין בִּיר דְכַר הוּא וְתִקְטְלוּן יָתֵיהּ וְאִין בְּרַתָּא נוּקְבָא הִיא וְתִתְקַיֵים And he said, When you attend Jehudith women, and see them bear, if it be a male child, you shall kill him; but if a daughter, you may let her live.
דְחִילָא חַיְיתָא מִן קֳדָם יְיָ וְלָא עָבָדוּ הֵיכְמָא דְמַלֵל עִמְהוֹן מַלְכָּא דְמִצְרַיִם וְקַיָימָא יַת בְּנַיָיא But the midwives feared before the Lord, and would not do according to what the king of Mizraim had said to them, but they saved the children.
וּקְרָא מַלְכָּא דְמִצְרַיִם לְחַיָיתָא וַאֲמַר לְהוֹן לְמָה דֵין עֲבַדְתּוּן יַת פִּתְגָמָא הָדֵין וּקְיַימְתּוּן יַת בְּנַיָא And the king of Mizraim called the midwives, and said to them, Why have you done this thing, and have saved the children?
וַאֲמָרַן חַיְיתָא לְפַרְעה אֲרוּם לָא כִנְשַׁיָא מִצְרַיְתָא יְהוּדַיְיתָא אֲרוּם זְרִיזִין וְחַכִּימִין בְּדַעֲתֵּיהֶן הִינוּן קֳדָם עַד לָא תֵיתֵי לְוַותְהוֹן חַיְיתָא הִינִין תַּלְיַין עֵינֵיהֶן בִּצְלוֹי מַצְלָן וּבַעֲיָין רַחֲמִין מִן קֳדָם אֲבוּהֶן דְבִשְׁמַיָא וְהוּא שָמַע בְּקַל צְלוֹתְהוֹן מִן יַד הִינִין מִתְעַנְיַין וִילִידַן וּפָרְקַן בִּשְׁלָם And the mid-wives said to Pharoh, The Jehudith women are not as the Mizraite, for they are sturdy (or, courageous) and wise-minded: before the midwife cometh to them they lift up their eyes in prayer, supplicating mercy before their Father who is in heaven, who heareth the voice of their prayer, and at once they are heard, and bring forth, and are delivered in peace.
וְאוֹטִיב יְיָ לְחַיְיתָא וּסְגוֹ עַמָא וּתְקִיפוּ לַחֲדָא And the Lord did good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and prevailed greatly.
וַהֲוָה כַּד דְחִילָא חַיְתָא מִן קֳדָם יְיָ וּקְנוּ לְהוֹן שׁוּם טַב לְדָרַיָא וּבְנָא לְהוֹן מֵימְרָא דַיְיָ בֵּית מַלְכוּתָא וּבֵית כְּהוּנְתָּא רַבְּתָא And forasmuch as the midwives feared before the Lord, they obtained for themselves a good name unto the ages; and the Word of the Lord up-builded for them a royal house, even the house of the high priesthood.
וְכַד חָמָא פַּרְעה כְּדֵין פַּקֵיד לְכָל עַמֵיהּ לְמֵימָר כָּל בִּיר דְכַר דְאִתְלִיד לִיהוּדָאֵי בְּנַהֲרָא תִּטְלוֹקְנֵיהּ וְכָל בְּרַתָּא תְּקַיְימוּן But when Pharoh saw this, he commanded all his people, saying, Every male child that is born to the Jehudaee you shall cast into the river; but every daughter you may spare.