Exodus 1

1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt (every man and his household who came with Jacob):

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5 And all the souls who came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls. And Joseph was in Egypt already.

6 And Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.

7 And the sons of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty, and the land was filled with them.

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

9 And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we.

10 Come, let us deal craftily with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when war happens, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.

11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built store-cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Rameses.

12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. And they were grieved because of the sons of Israel.

13 And the Egyptians made the sons of Israel to serve with rigor.

14 And they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, with which they made them serve with rigor.

15 And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah.

16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birth-stool, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him, but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.

18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the male children alive?

19 And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women, for they are lively, and are delivered before the midwife comes to them.

20 And God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.

21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them households.

22 And Pharaoh ordered all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.