Exodus 1

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

Now these are the names of the children of Israel, that came into Egypt with Jacob, every man and his household they came.

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.

Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

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

And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; together with Joseph who was already in Egypt.

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

And Joseph died, and all his brothers, 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.

And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

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

Now there rose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

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

And he said unto his people: Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and mightier 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 deal wisely with them lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there happen to be a war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and 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.

And they set over taskmasters, to afflict them with their burdensome labors; and they built treasure cities, for Pharaoh, Pithom and Raamses.

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

But in the measure that they afflicted them, so they multiplied and so they spread out; and they felt abhorrence because of the children of Israel.

13 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly

And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to labor with rigor:

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 lives bitter with hard labor, in mortar, and in bricks, and in all manner of labor in the field; in all their service, wherein they made them labor with rigor.

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

And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah;

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.”

And he said: When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, ye shall look upon the birth; if it be a son, then shall ye kill him; but if it be a daughter, then may she live.

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 they did not as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but saved the men-children alive.

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 of Egypt called for the midwives, and he said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?

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.”

And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively; ere the midwife cometh in unto them they are delivered.

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

And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

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

And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made 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.”

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