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 children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in, every man with his household:
2 Ruben, Symeon,
Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda,
3 Leuy, Judas, Isachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,
Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,
4 Dan, and Neptalim, Gad, and Aser.
Dan, and Nephtali, Gad and Aser.
5 Therfor alle the soules of hem that yeden out of `the hipe of Jacob weren seuenti and fyue.
And all the souls that came out of Jacob’s thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt.
6 Forsothe Joseph was in Egipt; and whanne he was deed, and alle hise brithren, and al his kynrede,
After he was dead, 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.
The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes, and growing exceedingly strong 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!
In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not 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 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, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply: and if any war shall rise against us, join with our enemies, and having overcome us, depart 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.
Therefore he set over them masters of the works, to afflict them with burdens, and they built for Pharao cities of tabernacles, Phithom and Ramesses.
12 And bi hou myche thei oppressiden hem, bi so myche thei weren multiplied, and encreessiden more.
But the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied, and increased:
13 And Egipcians hatiden the sones of Israel, and turmentiden, and scorneden hem;
And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and 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 made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth.
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 midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua,
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.
Commanding them: When you shall do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery is come: if it be a man child, kill it: if a woman, keep it alive.
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 do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children.
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 called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men children?
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 answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves are skillful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we come to them.
20 Therfor God dide wel to medewyues; and the puple encreesside, and was coumfortid greetli.
Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong.
21 And for the mydewyues dredden God, he bildide `housis to hem.
And because the midwives feared God, he built 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.
Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive.
