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:

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

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

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

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

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 work, making building-material and bricks, and doing all sorts of work in the fields under the hardest conditions.

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

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 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 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 so they did not act according to the precept of the king of Egypt, but they kept the males safe.

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

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 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.”

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

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

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

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

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.”

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.