Revised Literal Translation

Exodus 1

1Now these arethe namesשְׁמוֹת֙she.mOtH8034of the childrenבְּנֵ֣יbe.NeiH1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElH3478,which cameהַבָּאִ֖יםha.ba.'ImH935into Egyptמִצְרָ֑יְמָהmitz.Ra.ye.mahH4714;every manאִ֥ישׁ'ishH376and his householdוּבֵית֖וֹu.vei.ToH1004cameבָּֽאוּ׃Ba.'uH935with Jacobיַעֲקֹ֔בya.'a.KoH3290.

2Reubenרְאוּבֵ֣ןre.'u.VenH7205,Simeonשִׁמְע֔וֹןshim.'onH8095,Leviלֵוִ֖יle.ViH3878,and Judahוִיהוּדָֽה׃vi.hu.DahH3063,

3Issacharיִשָּׂשכָ֥רyi.so.sh.KharH3485,Zebulunזְבוּלֻ֖ןze.vu.LunH2074,and Benjaminוּבְנְיָמִֽן׃u.ve.ne.ya.MinH1144,

4Danדָּ֥ןdanH1835,and Naphtaliוְנַפְתָּלִ֖יve.naf.ta.LiH5321,Gadגָּ֥דgadH1410,and Asherוְאָשֵֽׁר׃ve.'a.SherH836.

5And all the soulsנֶ֛פֶשׁNe.feshH5315that came outיֹצְאֵ֥יyo.tze.'EiH3318of the loinsיֶֽרֶךְ־ye.rekh-H3409of Jacobיַעֲקֹ֖בya.'a.KoH3290were seventyשִׁבְעִ֣יםshiv.'ImH7657soulsנָ֑פֶשׁNa.feshH5315:for Josephוְיוֹסֵ֖ףve.yo.SefH3130was in Egyptבְמִצְרָֽיִם׃ve.mitz.Ra.yimH4714already.

6And Josephיוֹסֵף֙yo.SefH3130diedוַיָּ֤מָתvai.Ya.motH4191,and all his brethrenאֶחָ֔יו'e.ChavH251,and all that generationהַדּ֥וֹרha.DorH1755.

7And the childrenוּבְנֵ֣יu.ve.NeiH1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYis.ra.'ElH3478were fruitfulפָּר֧וּpa.RuH6509,and increased abundantlyוַֽיִּשְׁרְצ֛וּvai.yish.re.TzuH8317,and multipliedוַיִּרְבּ֥וּvai.yir.BuH7235,and waxed exceedingH3966mightyוַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּvai.ya.'atz.MuH6105;and the landהָאָ֖רֶץha.'A.retzH776was filledוַתִּמָּלֵ֥אva.ti.ma.Le'H4390with them.

8Now there arose upוַיָּ֥קָםvai.Ya.komH6965a newחָדָ֖שׁcha.DashH2319kingמֶֽלֶךְ־Me.lekh-H4428over Egyptמִצְרָ֑יִםmitz.Ra.yimH4714,which knewיָדַ֖עya.Da'H3045not Josephיוֹסֵֽף׃yo.SefH3130.

9And he saidוַיֹּ֖אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto his peopleעַמּ֑וֹa.MoH5971,Behold, the peopleעַ֚ם'amH5971of the childrenבְּנֵ֣יbe.NeiH1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElH3478aremoreרַ֥בravH7227and mightierוְעָצ֖וּםve.'a.TzumH6099than we:

10Come onהָ֥בָהHa.vahH3051,let us deal wiselyנִֽתְחַכְּמָ֖הnit.cha.ke.MahH2449with them; lest they multiplyיִרְבֶּ֗הyir.BehH7235,and it come to pass, that, when there falleth outתִקְרֶ֤אנָהtik.Re.nahH7122any warמִלְחָמָה֙mil.cha.MahH4421,theyהוּא֙hu'H1931joinוְנוֹסַ֤ףve.no.SafH3254also unto our enemiesשֹׂ֣נְאֵ֔ינוּso.ne.'Ei.nuH8130,and fightוְנִלְחַם־ve.nil.cham-H3898against us, and soget them upוְעָלָ֥הve.'a.LahH5927out of the landהָאָֽרֶץ׃ha.'A.retzH776.

11Therefore they did setוַיָּשִׂ֤ימוּvai.ya.Si.muH7760over them taskmastersשָׂרֵ֣י מִסִּ֔יםsa.Rei mi.SimH8269 H4522to afflictעַנֹּת֖וֹa.no.ToH6031them with their burdensבְּסִבְלֹתָ֑םbe.siv.lo.TamH5450.And they builtוַיִּ֜בֶןvai.Yi.venH1129for Pharaohלְפַרְעֹ֔הle.far.'OhH6547treasureמִסְכְּנוֹת֙mis.ke.nOtH4543citiesעָרֵ֤י'a.ReiH5892,Pithomפִּתֹ֖םpi.TomH6619and Raamsesרַעַמְסֵֽס׃ra.'am.SesH7486.

12But the more they afflictedיְעַנּ֣וּye.'a.NuH6031them, the moreH3651they multipliedיִרְבֶּ֖הyir.BehH7235and grewיִפְרֹ֑ץyif.RotzH6555.And they were grievedוַיָּקֻ֕צוּvai.ya.Ku.tzuH6973becauseמִפְּנֵ֖יmi.pe.NeiH6440of the childrenבְּנֵ֥יbe.NeiH1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Yis.ra.'ElH3478.

13And the EgyptiansH4714madeH5647the childrenבְּנֵ֥יbe.NeiH1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElH3478to serveH5647with rigourבְּפָֽרֶךְ׃be.Fa.rekhH6531:

14And they madeH4843their livesחַיֵּיהֶ֜םchai.yei.HemH2416bitterוַיְמָרְר֨וּvay.ma.re.RuH4843with hardקָשָׁ֗הka.ShahH7186bondageבַּעֲבֹדָ֣הba.'a.vo.DahH5656,in morterבְּחֹ֙מֶר֙be.Cho.merH2563,and in brickוּבִלְבֵנִ֔יםu.vil.ve.NimH3843,and in all manner of serviceעֲבֹדָ֖ה'a.vo.DahH5656in the fieldבַּשָּׂדֶ֑הba.sa.DehH7704:all their serviceעֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔ם'a.Vo.da.TamH5656,wherein they made them serveעָבְד֥וּ'a.ve.DuH5647, waswith rigourבְּפָֽרֶךְ׃be.Fa.rekhH6531.

15And the kingמֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekhH4428of Egyptמִצְרַ֔יִםmitz.Ra.yimH4714spakeוַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai.Yo.merH559to the Hebrewהָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑תha.'iv.ri.YotH5680midwivesלַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖תlam.ya.le.DotH3205,of which the nameשֵׁ֤םshemH8034of the oneהָֽאַחַת֙ha.'a.ChatH259wasShiphrahשִׁפְרָ֔הshif.RahH8236,and the nameוְשֵׁ֥םve.ShemH8034of the otherהַשֵּׁנִ֖יתha.she.NitH8145Puahפּוּעָֽה׃pu.'AhH6326:

16And he saidוַיֹּ֗אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559,When ye do the office of a midwifeבְּיַלֶּדְכֶן֙be.ya.led.KhenH3205to the Hebrew womenהָֽעִבְרִיּ֔וֹתha.'iv.ri.YotH5680,and seeוּרְאִיתֶ֖ןu.re.'i.TenH7200themupon the stoolsהָאָבְנָ֑יִםha.'a.ve.Na.yimH70; if it bea sonבֵּ֥ןbenH1121,then ye shall killוַהֲמִתֶּ֣ןva.ha.mi.TenH4191him: but if it bea daughterבַּ֥תbatH1323,then she shall liveH2425.

17But the midwivesהַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ham.ya.le.DotH3205fearedוַתִּירֶ֤אןָva.ti.Re.naH3372Godהָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔יםha.'E.lo.HimH430,and didעָשׂ֔וּ'a.SuH6213not as the kingמֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekhH4428of Egyptמִצְרָ֑יִםmitz.Ra.yimH4714commandedדִּבֶּ֥רdi.BerH1696them, but savedH2421the men childrenהַיְלָדִֽים׃hay.la.DimH3206aliveH2421.

18And the kingמֶֽלֶךְ־Me.lekh-H4428of Egyptמִצְרַ֙יִם֙mitz.Ra.yimH4714calledוַיִּקְרָ֤אvai.yik.Ra'H7121for the midwivesלַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֔תlam.ya.le.DotH3205,and saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto them, Whyמַדּ֥וּעַma.Du.a'H4069have ye doneעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ן'a.si.TenH6213this thingהַדָּבָ֣רha.da.VarH1697,and have savedH2421the men childrenהַיְלָדִֽים׃hay.la.DimH3206aliveH2421?

19And the midwivesהַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ham.ya.le.DotH3205saidוַתֹּאמַ֤רְןָva.to.Mar.naH559unto Pharaohפַּרְעֹ֔הpar.'OhH6547,Because the Hebrewהָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑תha.'iv.ri.YotH5680womenכַנָּשִׁ֛יםkha.na.ShimH802arenot as the Egyptian womenהַמִּצְרִיֹּ֖תha.mitz.ri.YotH4713; for they arelivelyחָי֣וֹתcha.YotH2422,and are deliveredהַמְיַלֶּ֖דֶתham.ya.Le.detH3205ereבְּטֶ֨רֶםbe.Te.remH2962the midwivesוְיָלָֽדוּ׃ve.ya.La.duH3205come inתָּב֧וֹאta.Vo'H935unto them.

20Therefore Godאֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimH430dealt wellוַיֵּ֥יטֶבvai.Yei.tevH3190with the midwivesלַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֑תlam.ya.le.DotH3205:and the peopleהָעָ֛םha.'AmH5971multipliedוַיִּ֧רֶבvai.Yi.revH7235,and waxed veryמְאֹֽד׃me.'OdH3966mightyוַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּvai.ya.'atz.MuH6105.

21And it came to pass, because the midwivesהַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖תham.ya.le.DotH3205fearedיָֽרְא֥וּya.re.'UH3372Godהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.HimH430,that he madeוַיַּ֥עַשׂvai.Ya.'asH6213them housesבָּתִּֽים׃ba.TimH1004.

22And Pharaohפַּרְעֹ֔הpar.'OhH6547chargedוַיְצַ֣וvay.TzavH6680all his peopleעַמּ֖וֹa.MoH5971,sayingלֵאמֹ֑רle.MorH559,Every sonהַבֵּ֣ןha.BenH1121that is bornהַיִּלּ֗וֹדhai.yi.LodH3209ye shall castתַּשְׁלִיכֻ֔הוּtash.li.Khu.huH7993into the riverהַיְאֹ֙רָה֙hay.'O.rahH2975,and every daughterהַבַּ֖תha.BatH1323ye shall save aliveתְּחַיּֽוּן׃ סte.chai.YunH2421.

Commentaries on Exodus 1