Exodus 1

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

NOW THESE are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob; every man came 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 came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt already.

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 increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

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

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

9 the puple of the sones of Israel is myche, and strongere than we;

And he said unto his people: 'Behold, the people of the children of Israel are too many and too mighty for us;

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 deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there befalleth us any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them 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.

Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses.

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 the more they spread abroad. And they were adread 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 to serve with rigour.

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 lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field; in all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigour.

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 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 do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, ye shall look upon the birthstool: if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be 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 commanded them, but saved the men-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 for the midwives, and said unto them: 'Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-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 unto Pharaoh: 'Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwife come unto 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 waxed very mighty.

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.

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.'