Exodus 1

1 These ben the names of the sones of Israel, that entriden into Egipt with Jacob; alle entriden with her housis;

And these are the names of the sons of Israel who had come into Egypt; with Jacob had they come, each with his household:

2 Ruben, Symeon,

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and 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.

And all the souls that had come out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt.

6 Forsothe Joseph was in Egipt; and whanne he was deed, and alle hise brithren, and al his kynrede,

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

7 the sones of Israel encreessiden, and weren multiplied as buriounnyng, and thei weren maad strong greetli, and filliden the lond.

And the children of Israel were fruitful, and swarmed and multiplied, and became exceeding strong; and the land was full of them.

8 A newe kyng, that knewe not Joseph, roos in the meene tyme on Egipt, and seide to his puple, Lo!

And there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know 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 children of Israel are more numerous and stronger than we.

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 on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass that, if war occur, they take side with our enemies and fight against us, and go up out of 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 they set over them service-masters to oppress them with their burdens. And they built store-cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Rameses.

12 And bi hou myche thei oppressiden hem, bi so myche thei weren multiplied, and encreessiden more.

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and spread; and they were distressed because of the children of Israel.

13 And Egipcians hatiden the sones of Israel, and turmentiden, and scorneden hem;

And the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with harshness;

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 embittered their life with hard labour in clay and bricks, and in all manner of labour in the field: all their labour with which they made them serve was with harshness.

15 Forsothe the kyng of Egipt seide to the mydwyues of Ebrews, of whiche oon was clepid Sefora, the tother Fua;

And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives — of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other was 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.

and he said, When ye help the Hebrew women in bearing, and see [them] on the stool, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him, but if a daughter, then she shall live.

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 did not as the king of Egypt had said to them, but saved the male children alive.

18 To whiche clepid to hym the kyng seide, What is this thing which ye wolden do, that ye wolden kepe the children?

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

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.

And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian; for they are strong, and they have borne before the midwife comes to them.

20 Therfor God dide wel to medewyues; and the puple encreesside, and was coumfortid greetli.

And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong.

21 And for the mydewyues dredden God, he bildide `housis to hem.

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

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.

Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, but every daughter ye shall save alive.