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.”