1 Aya ni yo mazina y’abahungu ba Isirayeli bagiye muri Egiputa bajanye na Yakobo ari we Isirayeli, umwe wese ari kumwe n’umuryango wiwe:

2 Reyubeni, Simeyoni, Lewi, Yuda,

3 Isakari, Zebuloni, Benyamini;

4 Dani, Nafutali;

Gadi, na Asheri.

5 Abakomoka kuri Yakobo bagiye muri Egiputa bari mirongo indwi; Yosefu we yari yaramaze gushika muri Egiputa.

6 Nuko igihe kiragera, Yosefu n’ab’urunganwe rwiwe barapfa. 7 Ababakomotseko ari bo Bisirayeli bavyara abana n’abuzukuru benshi cane; baragwira, baba abantu bahambaye birengeje, buzura igihugu cose.

8 Maze muri Egiputa, himikwa uwundi mwami atigeze amenya ivya Yosefu. 9 Abwira Abanyegiputa ati: "Murabona ko Abisirayeli babaye benshi kandi bakomeye kuturusha. 10 Dutegerezwa kugira ico dukoze kugira ngo tubabuze kugwira, ahandi ho nihagira intambara itera, bazokwifatanya n’abansi bacu maze batugwanye, hanyuma bave mu gihugu cacu bigire."

11 Ni ko guca babagira abagurano babo, bagena ababakurikirana babakoresha ibikorwa bigoye vy’agacinyizo, mu kwubaka ibisagara vy’ubushinguro bwa Farawo vy’i Ramusesi n’i Pitoni. 12 Ariko uko babacinyiza ni ko barushiriza kugwira no gukwiragira hose, kandi Abanyegiputa bikarushiriza kubatera ubwoba. 13 Baca barushirizaho kubababarisha ibikorwa vy’ubuja. 14 Batuma ubuzima bwabo bubarusha bumera nk’umururazi, mu kubakoresha mu vyondo ibikorwa bibabaza vyo kubumba amatafari, hamwe n’ibindi bitandukanye vyo mu mirima; kandi mu vyo babakoresha vyose bakabababaza cane.

15 Umwami wa Egiputa abarira abakirizi b’Abaheburayokazi, ari bo Shifura na Puwa, 16 ati: "Nimwakira Umuheburayokazi, mugasanga avyaye umuhungu, muzoce mumuniga. Ariko nimwasanga ari umukobwa, muze mumureke abeho." 17 Ariko abo bakirizi barubaha Imana, maze ntibumvira ivyo umwami yabategetse. 18 Nuko umwami wa Egiputa ahamagaza ba bakirizi arababaza ati: "Ivyo mwakoze ni ibiki? Ni kubera iki mwaretse abana b’abahungu bakabaho?"

19 Ba bakirizi baramwishura bati: "Abagore b’Abaheburayokazi ntibameze nk’Abanyegiputakazi; bafise inkomezi, umwakirizi agera kuhashika bamaze kuvyara."

20 Maze Imana igirira neza abo bakirizi, Abisirayeli na bo barushiriza kugwira, baba ihanga rinini. 21 Kandi kuko abo bakirizi bubashe Imana, na yo ica ibaha uruvyaro mu miryango yabo bwite.

22 Nuko Farawo aca atanga itegeko ku bantu bose ati: "Umwana wese azovuka ari umuhungu muze mumuterere mu ruzi Nili, ariko umukobwa muze mumureke abeho."