Exodus 1

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came into 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, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

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

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

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

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

7 The Israelites were fruitful, increased greatly in numbers, and became very strong; 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 then a new king arose over Egypt, one who did not know about Joseph.

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

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

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 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.”

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 So they put taskmasters over them to oppress them with hard labor. The Israelites built store 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 the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites increased in numbers and spread. So the Egyptians began to dread the Israelites.

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 The Egyptians made the Israelites work rigorously.

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

14 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.

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

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 as the king of Egypt ordered them; instead, they let the baby boys live.

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

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 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.”

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

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

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

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.