Exodus 1

1 These are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in, every man with his household:

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, Juda,

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

3 Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,

Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

4 Dan, and Nephtali, Gad and Aser.

Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5 And all the souls that came out of Jacob’s thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt.

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

6 After he was dead, and all his brethren, and all that generation,

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

7 The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes, and growing exceedingly strong 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 In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not 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 children of Israel are numerous and 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, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply: and if any war shall rise against us, join with our enemies, and having overcome us, 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 Therefore he set over them masters of the works, to afflict them with burdens, and they built for Pharao cities of tabernacles, Phithom and Ramesses.

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 the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied, and increased:

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 children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them:

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

14 And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth.

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 Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other 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 Commanding them: When you shall do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery is come: if it be a man child, kill it: if a woman, keep it alive.

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 do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children.

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 called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men children?

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 answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves are skillful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we 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 dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong.

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 them houses.

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

22 Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save 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.