Exodus 1

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each 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 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 and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5 All the people who were directly descended from Jacob were seventy-five, and Joseph was in Egypt already.

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

6 Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation.

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

7 The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

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

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

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

9 He said to his people, "Look, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier 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 deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and escape 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 they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Rameses.

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 afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.

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 ruthlessly made the children of Israel labor,

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

14 and they made their lives bitter with hard labor, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of labor in the field, all their labors which they ruthlessly made them do.

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 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 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 and he said, "When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool; if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live."

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 what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.

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 The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and have saved the boys alive?"

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 The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women aren't like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth before the midwife comes 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 God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.

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

21 It happened, because the midwives feared God, that he gave them families.

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

22 Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "You are to cast every son who is born to the Hebrews into the river, but every daughter you are to keep 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.