Exodus 1

1 Now these [are] the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.

These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:

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 And all the souls that descended from Jacob, were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt [already].

The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all, including Joseph, who was already in Egypt.

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

Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,

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

but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.

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

Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt.

9 And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel [are] more and mightier than we.

“Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.

10 Come, let us deal wisely with them: lest they multiply, and it shall come to pass, that when there falleth out any war, they will join with our enemies, and fight against us, and depart from the land.

Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”

11 Therefore they set over them task-masters, to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure-cities, Pithom, and Raamses.

So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.

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

They worked the Israelites ruthlessly

14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service in which they made them serve, [was] with rigor.

and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.

15 And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives (of which the name of one [was] Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: )

Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,

16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see [them] upon the stools; if it [shall be] a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it [shall be] a daughter, then she shall live.

“When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.”

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

The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.

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

So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

19 And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women [are] not as the Egyptian women: for they [are] lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in to them.

The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives.”

20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and became very mighty.

So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became even more numerous.

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

And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.

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.

Then Pharaoh commanded all his people: “Every son born to the Hebrews you must throw into the Nile, but every daughter you may allow to live.”