Exodus 1

1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt; every man and his family came with Jacob.

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 All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons: and Joseph had come to Egypt before them.

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

6 Then Joseph came to his end, and all his brothers, and all that generation.

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

7 And the children of Israel were fertile, increasing very greatly in numbers and in power; and the land was full of 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 Now a new king came to power in Egypt, who had no knowledge of Joseph.

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

9 And he said to his people, See, the people of Israel are greater in number and in power than we are:

And he said unto his people: Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and mightier than we.

10 Let us take care for fear that their numbers may become even greater, and if there is a war, they may be joined with those who are against us, and make an attack on us, and go up out of the land.

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 they put overseers of forced work over them, in order to make their strength less by the weight of their work. And they made store-towns for Pharaoh, Pithom and Raamses.

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 cruel they were to them, the more their number increased, till all the land was full of them. And the children of Israel were hated by the Egyptians.

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 And they gave the children of Israel even harder work to do:

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

14 And made their lives bitter with hard work, making building-material and bricks, and doing all sorts of work in the fields under the hardest conditions.

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 And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew women who gave help at the time of childbirth (the name of the one was Shiphrah and the name of the other 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 are looking after the Hebrew women in childbirth, if it is a son you are to put him to death; but if it is a daughter, she may go on living.

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 But the women had the fear of God, and did not do as the king of Egypt said, but let the male children go on living.

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

18 And the king of Egypt sent for the women, and said to them, Why have you done this, and let the male children go on living?

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 And they said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are strong, and the birth takes place before we come to them.

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 And the blessing of God was on these women: and the people were increased in number and became very strong.

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

21 And because the women who took care of the Hebrew mothers had the fear of God, he gave them families.

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

22 And Pharaoh gave orders to all his people, saying, Every son who comes to birth is to be put into the river, but every daughter may go on living.

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.