Exodus 1

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel, who went into Egypt with Jacob. They entered, each one with his house:

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

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, 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 Therefore, all the souls of those who went forth from Jacob’s thigh were seventy. Now Joseph was in Egypt.

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

6 When he had died, along with all of his brothers and all of that generation,

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

7 the sons of Israel increased, and they multiplied like seedlings. And having been strengthened exceedingly, they filled the land.

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

8 Meanwhile, there arose a new king over Egypt, who was ignorant of Joseph.

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

9 And he said to his people: “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are many, and they are stronger than we are.

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

10 Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply; and if any war should advance against us, they may be added to our enemies, and having fought against us, they might depart from the land.”

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.”

11 And so he set over them masters of the works, in order to afflict them with burdens. And they built for Pharaoh the cities of the tabernacles: Pithom and Raamses.

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.

12 And the more they oppressed them, so much more did they multiply and increase.

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

13 And the Egyptians hated the sons of Israel, and they afflicted them and mocked them.

They worked the Israelites ruthlessly

14 And they led their life directly into bitterness, with hard work in clay and brick, and with all kinds of servitude, so that they were being overwhelmed with the works of the land.

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.

15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews, (one of whom one was called Shiphrah, another Puah)

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

16 instructing them: “When you will act as a midwife to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery has arrived: if it is male, put it to death; if it is female, retain it.”

“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.”

17 But the midwives feared God, and so they did not act according to the precept of the king of Egypt, but they kept the males safe.

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

18 And summoning them, the king said, “What did you intend to do, so that you would save the boys?”

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

19 They responded: “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. For they themselves have the wisdom of a midwife, and so they give birth before we can come to them.”

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

20 Therefore, God acted favorably toward the midwives. And the people increased, and they were strengthened exceedingly.

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

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

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

22 Therefore, Pharaoh instructed all his people, saying: “Whatever will be born of the male sex, cast it into the river; whatever will be born of the female sex, retain it.”

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.”