Exodus 1

1 NOW THESE are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob; every man came with his household:

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.

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judas,

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

Issachar, Zabulon, Benjamin,

4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

Dan and Nephthalim, Gad and Aser.

5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt already.

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

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

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

7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

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

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

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

9 And he said unto his people: 'Behold, the people of the children of Israel are too many and too mighty for us;

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

10 come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there befalleth us any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.'

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.

11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses.

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.

12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were adread because of the children of Israel.

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

13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour.

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

14 And they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field; in all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigour.

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.

15 And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah;

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.

16 and he said: 'When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, ye shall look upon the birthstool: if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.'

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.

17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men-children alive.

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

18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them: 'Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?'

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?

19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh: 'Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwife come unto them.'

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.

20 And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

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

21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses.

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

22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying: 'Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.'

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.