Exodus 1

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel that came into Egypt together with Jacob their father; they came in each with their whole family.

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

2 Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judas,

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

3 Issachar, Zabulon, Benjamin,

Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

4 Dan and Nephthalim, Gad and Aser.

Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5 But Joseph was in Egypt. And all the souls [born] of Jacob were seventy-five.

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

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

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

7 And the children of Israel increased and multiplied, and became numerous and grew exceedingly strong, and the land multiplied them.

And the children of Israel were fertile, increasing very greatly in numbers and in power; and the land was full of them.

8 And there arose up another king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

Now a new king came to power in Egypt, who had no knowledge of Joseph.

9 And he said to his nation, Behold, the race of the children of Israel is a great multitude, and is stronger than we:

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

10 come then, let us deal craftily with them, lest at any time they be increased, and whenever war shall happen to us, these also shall be added to our enemies, and having prevailed against us in war, they will depart out of the land.

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.

11 And he set over them taskmasters, who should afflict them in their works; and they built strong cities for Pharao, both Pitho, and Ramesses, and On, which is Heliopolis.

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.

12 But as they humbled them, by so much they multiplied, and grew exceedingly strong; and the Egyptians greatly abhorred the children of Israel.

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.

13 And the Egyptians tyrannized over the children of Israel by force.

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

14 And they embittered their life by hard labours, in the clay and in brick-making, and all the works in the plains, according to all the works, wherein they caused them to serve with violence.

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.

15 And the king of the Egyptians spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews; the name of the one was, Sepphora; and the name of the second, Phua.

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),

16 And he said, When you do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and they are about to be delivered, if it be a male, kill it; but if a female, save it.

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.

17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt appointed them; and they saved the male children alive.

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.

18 And the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them, Why is it that you have done this thing, and saved the male children alive?

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?

19 And the midwives said to Pharao, The Hebrew women are not as the women of Egypt, for they are delivered before the midwives go in to them. So they bore children.

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.

20 And God did well to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very strong.

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

21 And as the midwives feared God, they established for themselves families.

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

22 And Pharao charged all his people, saying, Whatever male [child] shall be born to the Hebrews, cast into the river; and every female, save it alive.

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.