Exodus 1
1 These ben the names of the sones of Israel, that entriden into Egipt with Jacob; alle entriden with her housis;
These are the names of the sons of Israel, who went into Egypt with Jacob. They entered, each one with his house:
2 Ruben, Symeon,
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
3 Leuy, Judas, Isachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 Dan, and Neptalim, Gad, and Aser.
Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5 Therfor alle the soules of hem that yeden out of `the hipe of Jacob weren seuenti and fyue.
Therefore, all the souls of those who went forth from Jacob’s thigh were seventy. Now Joseph was in Egypt.
6 Forsothe Joseph was in Egipt; and whanne he was deed, and alle hise brithren, and al his kynrede,
When he had died, along with all of his brothers and all of that generation,
7 the sones of Israel encreessiden, and weren multiplied as buriounnyng, and thei weren maad strong greetli, and filliden the lond.
the sons of Israel increased, and they multiplied like seedlings. And having been strengthened exceedingly, they filled the land.
8 A newe kyng, that knewe not Joseph, roos in the meene tyme on Egipt, and seide to his puple, Lo!
Meanwhile, there arose a new king over Egypt, who was ignorant of Joseph.
9 the puple of the sones of Israel is myche, and strongere than we;
And he said to his people: “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are many, and they are stronger than we are.
10 come ye, wiseli oppresse we it, lest perauenture it be multiplied; and lest, if batel risith ayens vs, it be addid to oure enemyes, and go out of the lond, whanne we ben ouercomun.
Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply; and if any war should advance against us, they may be added to our enemies, and having fought against us, they might depart from the land.”
11 And so he made maistris of werkis souereyns to hem, that thei schulden turmente hem with chargis. And thei maden citees of tabernaclis to Farao, Fiton, and Ramesses.
And so he set over them masters of the works, in order to afflict them with burdens. And they built for Pharaoh the cities of the tabernacles: Pithom and Raamses.
12 And bi hou myche thei oppressiden hem, bi so myche thei weren multiplied, and encreessiden more.
And the more they oppressed them, so much more did they multiply and increase.
13 And Egipcians hatiden the sones of Israel, and turmentiden, and scorneden hem;
And the Egyptians hated the sons of Israel, and they afflicted them and mocked them.
14 and brouyten her lijf to bitternesse bi hard werkis of cley and to tijl stoon, and bi al seruage, bi which thei weren oppressid in the werkis of erthe.
And they led their life directly into bitterness, with hard work in clay and brick, and with all kinds of servitude, so that they were being overwhelmed with the works of the land.
15 Forsothe the kyng of Egipt seide to the mydwyues of Ebrews, of whiche oon was clepid Sefora, the tother Fua;
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews, (one of whom one was called Shiphrah, another Puah)
16 and he commaundide to hem, Whanne ye schulen do the office of medewyues to Ebrew wymmen, and the tyme of childberyng schal come, if it is a knaue child, sle ye him; if it is a womman, kepe ye.
instructing them: “When you will act as a midwife to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery has arrived: if it is male, put it to death; if it is female, retain it.”
17 Forsothe the medewyues dredden God, and diden not bi the comaundement of the kyng of Egipt, but kepten knaue children.
But the midwives feared God, and so they did not act according to the precept of the king of Egypt, but they kept the males safe.
18 To whiche clepid to hym the kyng seide, What is this thing which ye wolden do, that ye wolden kepe the children?
And summoning them, the king said, “What did you intend to do, so that you would save the boys?”
19 Whiche answeriden, Ebrew wymmen ben not as the wymmen of Egipt, for thei han kunnyng of the craft of medewijf, and childen bifore that we comen to hem.
They responded: “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. For they themselves have the wisdom of a midwife, and so they give birth before we can come to them.”
20 Therfor God dide wel to medewyues; and the puple encreesside, and was coumfortid greetli.
Therefore, God acted favorably toward the midwives. And the people increased, and they were strengthened exceedingly.
21 And for the mydewyues dredden God, he bildide `housis to hem.
And because the midwives feared God, he built houses for them.
22 Therfor Farao comaundide al his puple, and seide, What euer thing of male kynde is borun to Ebrewis, `caste ye into the flood; what euer thing of wymmen kynde, kepe ye.
Therefore, Pharaoh instructed all his people, saying: “Whatever will be born of the male sex, cast it into the river; whatever will be born of the female sex, retain it.”
