Exodus 1

1 And these [are] the names of the sons of Israel who are coming into Egypt; each man and his household have come with Jacob:

These are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

5 And all the persons coming out of the thigh of Jacob are seventy persons; as for Joseph, he was in Egypt.

All the people who were descendants of Jacob were seventy in number. Joseph was already in Egypt.

6 And Joseph dies, and all his brothers, and all that generation;

Then Joseph, all his brothers, and all that generation died.

7 and the sons of Israel have been fruitful, and they teem, and multiply, and are very, very mighty, and the land is filled with them.

The Israelites were fruitful, increased greatly in numbers, and became very strong; the land was filled with them.

8 And there rises a new king over Egypt, who has not known Joseph,

Now then a new king arose over Egypt, one who did not know about Joseph.

9 and he says to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel [are] more numerous and mighty than we.

He said to his people, “Look, the Israelites are more numerous and stronger than we are.

10 Give help! Let us act wisely concerning it, lest it multiply, and it has come to pass, when war happens, that it has been joined, even it, to those hating us, and has fought against us, and has gone up out of the land.”

Come, let us deal with them wisely, otherwise they will continue to grow in numbers, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the land.”

11 And they set princes of tribute over it, so as to afflict it with their burdens, and it builds the store-cities of Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh;

So they put taskmasters over them to oppress them with hard labor. The Israelites built store cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Rameses.

12 and as they afflict it, so it multiplies, and so it breaks forth, and they are distressed because of the sons of Israel;

But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites increased in numbers and spread. So the Egyptians began to dread the Israelites.

13 and the Egyptians cause the sons of Israel to serve with rigor,

The Egyptians made the Israelites work rigorously.

14 and make their lives bitter in hard service, in clay, and in brick, and in every [kind] of service in the field; all their service in which they have served [is] with rigor.

They made their lives bitter with hard service with mortar and brick, and with all kinds of work in the fields. All their required work was hard.

15 And the king of Egypt speaks to the midwives, the Hebrewesses (of whom the name of the first [is] Shiphrah, and the name of the second Puah),

Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives; the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the other Puah.

16 and says, “When you cause the Hebrew women to bear, and have looked on the children, if it [is] a son, then you have put him to death; and if it [is] a daughter, then she has lived.”

He said, “When you assist the Hebrew women on the birthstool, observe when they give birth. If it is a son, then you must kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she may live.”

17 And the midwives fear God, and have not done as the king of Egypt has spoken to them, and they keep the boys alive;

But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt ordered them; instead, they let the baby boys live.

18 and the king of Egypt calls for the midwives and says to them, “Why have you done this thing, and keep the boys alive?”

The king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the baby boys live?”

19 And the midwives say to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women [are] not as the Egyptian women, for they [are] lively; before the midwife comes to them—they have borne!”

The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They are vigorous and have finished giving birth before a midwife comes to them.”

20 And God does good to the midwives, and the people multiply, and are very mighty;

God protected these midwives. The people increased in numbers and became very strong.

21 and it comes to pass, because the midwives have feared God, that He makes households for them;

Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

22 and Pharaoh lays a charge on all his people, saying, “Every son who is born—you cast him into the River, and every daughter you keep alive.”

Pharaoh ordered all his people, “You must throw every son that is born into the river, but every daughter you will let live.”