Exodus 1

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:

These are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in, every man with his household:

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda,

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,

4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.

Dan, and Nephtali, Gad and Aser.

5 The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all, including Joseph, who was already in Egypt.

And all the souls that came out of Jacob’s thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt.

6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,

After he was dead, and all his brethren, and all that generation,

7 but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.

The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes, and growing exceedingly strong they filled the land.

8 Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt.

In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not Joseph:

9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.

And he said to his people: Behold the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we.

10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”

Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply: and if any war shall rise against us, join with our enemies, and having overcome us, depart out of the land.

11 So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

Therefore he set over them masters of the works, to afflict them with burdens, and they built for Pharao cities of tabernacles, Phithom and Ramesses.

12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.

But the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied, and increased:

13 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly

And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them:

14 and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.

And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth.

15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,

And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua,

16 “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.”

Commanding them: When you shall do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery is come: if it be a man child, kill it: if a woman, keep it alive.

17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.

But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children.

18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

And the king called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men children?

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives.”

They answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves are skillful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we come to them.

20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became even more numerous.

Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong.

21 And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.

And because the midwives feared God, he built them houses.

22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people: “Every son born to the Hebrews you must throw into the Nile, but every daughter you may allow to live.”

Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive.