Exodus 1
1 The sons of Jacob who went to Egypt with him along with their families were
Now these are the names of the children of Israel, that came into Egypt with Jacob, every man and his household they came.
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3 Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 Altogether there were 70 people [who went with] Jacob. That included his [sons, his grandsons, and two great-grandsons]. [His son] Joseph was already in Egypt.
And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; together with Joseph who was already in Egypt.
6 [Eventually] Joseph and his [older and younger] brothers and everyone [else in their family who lived] (in that generation/at that time) died.
And Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.
7 But Jacob’s descendants kept giving birth to many children [IDM]. The number [of his descendants] kept becoming larger and larger. As a result, there were so many of them that they were everywhere in Egypt (OR, that they [became a threat] to the Egyptians).
And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8 Then [several hundred years later], a new king began to rule [MTY] in Egypt. He did not know [what] Joseph [had done for the people of Egypt long ago].
Now there rose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.
9 He said to his people, “Look [at what has happened]! The Israeli people have become so numerous and so powerful that they [now might conquer] us!
And he said unto his people: Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and mightier than we.
10 We must find a way to control them! If we do not do that, their population will continue to grow. Then, if enemies [PRS] attack us, they will join with our enemies and fight against us, and they will escape from [our] land.”
Come, let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there happen to be a war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and depart out of the land.
11 So [the king and his officials] put supervisors over the Israeli people to cause them to suffer very much by [forcing them] to work very hard. They forced [the Israeli people to] build [two] cities, Pithom and Ramses, in which to store [supplies for the king/government].
And they set over taskmasters, to afflict them with their burdensome labors; and they built treasure cities, for Pharaoh, Pithom and Raamses.
12 But the more cruelly they treated the [Israeli people], the bigger the Israeli [population] grew, and they became more numerous all over [the land]. So the Egyptian people began to be afraid of the Israeli people.
But in the measure that they afflicted them, so they multiplied and so they spread out; and they felt abhorrence because of the children of Israel.
13 They forced the Israeli people to work very hard,
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to labor with rigor:
14 and by making them slaves, they made their lives miserable. They [forced them] to [build many buildings with] mortar and bricks. [They also forced them to do] other work in the fields. [In making them do all this work, the Egyptian officials treated them] ruthlessly/cruelly.
And they made their lives bitter with hard labor, in mortar, and in bricks, and in all manner of labor in the field; in all their service, wherein they made them labor with rigor.
15 There were two Hebrew (midwives/women who helped the women when they were giving birth). [Hebrew means the same as Israeli.] The names of the women were Shiphrah and Puah. The king of Egypt said to [those two women],
And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah;
16 “When you help the Hebrew women when they are giving birth [MTY], if [the baby that is born] is a boy, you must kill it. If [the baby] is a girl, you (may let it live/do not have to kill them).”
And he said: When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, ye shall look upon the birth; if it be a son, then shall ye kill him; but if it be a daughter, then may she live.
17 But the midwives feared/revered God. So they did not do what the king told them to do. They allowed the baby boys to live.
But the midwives feared God, and they did not as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but saved the men-children alive.
18 So the king summoned the [two] midwives and said to them, “Why are you doing this? Why are you letting the baby boys live?”
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and he said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?
19 [One of] the midwives replied to the king, “[You need to realize that] the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. The Hebrew women are very strong/healthy. They give birth [to their babies] before we can get to them [to help them].”
And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively; ere the midwife cometh in unto them they are delivered.
20 So God acted kindly toward the midwives, and the [Hebrew] people became even more numerous and strong.
And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
21 Furthermore, because the midwives feared/revered God, he enabled them also to give birth to children.
And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
22 Then the king commanded all (the [Egyptian] people/his [advisors]): “You must throw into the Nile [River] every baby boy born that the [Hebrew women] give birth to! But you can allow the baby girls to live.”
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.
