Exodus 1

1 These were the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob) who came with him to Egypt along with their families:

Now, these, are the names of the Sons of Israel, who came into Egypt, with Jacob, did each man and his household come in: —

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

Issachar, Zebulon, and Benjamin;

4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5 Jacob had 70 descendants there, including Joseph who was already in Egypt.

And it came to pass that all the persons who were descended from Jacob were seventy souls, —but, Joseph, was already in Egypt.

6 Eventually Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died.

So then Joseph died and all his brethren, and all that generation.

7 However, the Israelites had many children and their numbers increased rapidly. In fact there were so many of them that they became very powerful—the country was full of them.

But the sons of Israel, were fruitful and swarmed and multiplied and waxed mighty, with exceeding vigour, —so that the land was filled with them.

8 Then a new king came to power who didn't know anything about Joseph.

Then arose a new king over Egypt, —who had not known Joseph.

9 He conferred with his fellow Egyptians and said, “Look at these Israelites—there are more than them than us, and they're more powerful than us.

So he said, unto his people, Lo! the people of the sons of Israel are too many and mighty for us!

10 We've got to make plan to deal with them before they become so many that if there's a war they'll side with our enemies and fight us, and flee the country.”

Come on! let us shew ourselves wise with regard to them, lest they so multiply that it shall come to pass when war befalleth us, that they also, shall join themselves unto them who hate us, and shall make war upon us. and then go up out of the land.

11 So the Egyptians made them do forced labor and put taskmasters in charge of them. They used them to build the storage towns of Pithom and Rameses.

So they set over them chiefs of tribute, to the end they might humiliate them with their burdens, —and they built store-cities for Pharaoh, even Pithom and Raamses.

12 But the more the Israelites were mistreated, the more they grew in numbers and spread out—and the more the Egyptians detested them.

But the more they were humiliating them, the more, were they multiplying, and, the more, were they breaking forth, so they were filled with alarm because of the sons of Israel.

13 The Egyptians worked the Israelites brutally,

And the Egyptians rigorously made the sons of Israel serve;

14 making their lives a misery. They made them do hard labor, building with mortar and brick, and all kind of heavy work in the fields. In all of this hard labor they treated them brutally.

and embittered their lives with harsh service, in clay and in bricks, and in all manner of service in the field, —all their service, wherein they rigorously made them serve.

15 Then the king gave orders to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah.

Then said the king of Egypt to the Hebrew midwives, —of whom, the name of the one was, Shiphrah, and, the name of the other Puah; —

16 He told them, “When you assist the Hebrew women during childbirth, if you see it's a boy, kill him; but if it's a girl, let her live.”

then he said—When ye act as midwives unto the Hebrew women, then shall ye look out for the sex, —If it is, a son, then shall ye kill it, But, if it is, a daughter, then shall it live.

17 But because the midwives revered God, they didn't do what the king of Egypt had ordered. They let the boys live as well.

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt spake unto them, —but suffered the male children to live.

18 The king of Egypt called the midwives in and demanded to know, “Why have you done this— letting the male children live?”

Then called the king of Egypt for the midwives, and said to them—Wherefore have ye done this thing, that ye should let the male children live?

19 “Hebrew women aren't like Egyptian women,” the midwives told Pharaoh. “They give birth more easily—they have them before we midwives arrive.”

And the midwives said unto Pharaoh. Because not like the Egyptian women, are the Hebrew women, for they are full of life, ere yet the midwife can come in unto them, they have given birth,

20 God treated the midwives well, and the people increased in number so there were even more of them.

So then God dealt well with the midwives, —and the people multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty.

21 Because the midwives revered God, he gave them families of their own.

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

22 Then Pharaoh issued this order to all his people: “Throw every Hebrew boy that's born into the Nile, but let every girl live.”

Then gave Pharaoh command to all his people saying—Every son that is born to the Hebrews, into the river, shall ye cast him; But every daughter, shall ye suffer to live.