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 are coming into Egypt with Jacob; a man and his household have they come;

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 persons coming out of the thigh of Jacob are seventy persons; as to Joseph, he was in Egypt.

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

And Joseph dieth, 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 sons of Israel have been fruitful, and they teem, and multiply, and are very very mighty, and the land is filled with them.

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

And there riseth a new king over Egypt, who hath not known Joseph,

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

and he saith unto his people, 'Lo, the people of the sons of Israel [is] more numerous and mighty 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.

give help! let us act wisely concerning it, lest it multiply, and it hath come to pass, when war happeneth, that it hath been joined, even it, unto those hating us, and hath fought against us, and hath gone out up 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 it princes of tribute, so as to afflict it with their burdens, and it buildeth store-cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Raamses;

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

and as they afflict it, so it multiplieth, and so it breaketh forth, and they are vexed because of the sons of Israel;

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

and the Egyptians cause the sons 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 make their lives bitter in hard service, in clay, and in brick, and in every [kind] of service in the field; all their service in which they have served [is] 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 speaketh to the midwives, the Hebrewesses, (of whom the name of the one [is] Shiphrah, and the name of the second 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 saith, 'When ye cause the Hebrew women to bear, and have looked on the children; if it [is] a son — then ye have put him to death; and if it [is] a daughter — then she hath lived.'

17 Forsothe the medewyues dredden God, and diden not bi the comaundement of the kyng of Egipt, but kepten knaue children.

And the midwives fear God, and have not done as the king of Egypt hath spoken unto them, and keep the lads 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 calleth for the midwives, and saith to them, 'Wherefore have ye done this thing, and keep the lads 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 say unto Pharaoh, 'Because the Hebrew women [are] not as the Egyptian women, for they [are] lively; before the midwife cometh in unto them — they have borne!'

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

And God doth good to the midwives, and the people multiply, and are very mighty;

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

and it cometh to pass, because the midwives have feared God, that He maketh for them households;

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 layeth a charge on all his people, saying, 'Every son who is born — into the River ye do cast him, and every daughter ye do keep alive.'