שמות 1

1 וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַבָּאִים מִצְרָיְמָה אֵת יַעֲקֹב אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּֽאוּ׃

These are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in, every man with his household:

2 רְאוּבֵן שִׁמְעוֹן לֵוִי וִיהוּדָֽה׃

Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda,

3 יִשָּׂשכָר זְבוּלֻן וּבִנְיָמִֽן׃

Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,

4 דָּן וְנַפְתָּלִי גָּד וְאָשֵֽׁר׃

Dan, and Nephtali, Gad and Aser.

5 וַֽיְהִי כׇּל־נֶפֶשׁ יֹצְאֵי יֶֽרֶךְ־יַעֲקֹב שִׁבְעִים נָפֶשׁ וְיוֹסֵף הָיָה בְמִצְרָֽיִם׃

And all the souls that came out of Jacob’s thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt.

6 וַיָּמׇת יוֹסֵף וְכׇל־אֶחָיו וְכֹל הַדּוֹר הַהֽוּא׃

After he was dead, and all his brethren, and all that generation,

7 וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל פָּרוּ וַֽיִּשְׁרְצוּ וַיִּרְבּוּ וַיַּֽעַצְמוּ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ אֹתָֽם׃

The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes, and growing exceedingly strong they filled the land.

8 וַיָּקׇם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָשׁ עַל־מִצְרָיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יָדַע אֶת־יוֹסֵֽף׃

In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not Joseph:

9 וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־עַמּוֹ הִנֵּה עַם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רַב וְעָצוּם מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

And he said to his people: Behold the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we.

10 הָבָה נִֽתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ פֶּן־יִרְבֶּה וְהָיָה כִּֽי־תִקְרֶאנָה מִלְחָמָה וְנוֹסַף גַּם־הוּא עַל־שֹׂנְאֵינוּ וְנִלְחַם־בָּנוּ וְעָלָה מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

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 וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלָיו שָׂרֵי מִסִּים לְמַעַן עַנֹּתוֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָם וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת לְפַרְעֹה אֶת־פִּתֹם וְאֶת־רַעַמְסֵֽס׃

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 וְכַאֲשֶׁר יְעַנּוּ אֹתוֹ כֵּן יִרְבֶּה וְכֵן יִפְרֹץ וַיָּקֻצוּ מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

But the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied, and increased:

13 וַיַּעֲבִדוּ מִצְרַיִם אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃

And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them:

14 וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת־חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה בְּחֹמֶר וּבִלְבֵנִים וּבְכׇל־עֲבֹדָה בַּשָּׂדֶה אֵת כׇּל־עֲבֹדָתָם אֲשֶׁר־עָבְדוּ בָהֶם בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃

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 וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם לַֽמְיַלְּדֹת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּת אֲשֶׁר שֵׁם הָֽאַחַת שִׁפְרָה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית פּוּעָֽה׃

And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua,

16 וַיֹּאמֶר בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן אֶת־הָֽעִבְרִיּוֹת וּרְאִיתֶן עַל־הָאׇבְנָיִם אִם־בֵּן הוּא וַהֲמִתֶּן אֹתוֹ וְאִם־בַּת הִוא וָחָֽיָה׃

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 וַתִּירֶאןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים וְלֹא עָשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵיהֶן מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם וַתְּחַיֶּיןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃

But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children.

18 וַיִּקְרָא מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם לַֽמְיַלְּדֹת וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶן מַדּוּעַ עֲשִׂיתֶן הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַתְּחַיֶּיןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃

And the king called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men children?

19 וַתֹּאמַרְןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת אֶל־פַּרְעֹה כִּי לֹא כַנָּשִׁים הַמִּצְרִיֹּת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּת כִּֽי־חָיוֹת הֵנָּה בְּטֶרֶם תָּבוֹא אֲלֵהֶן הַמְיַלֶּדֶת וְיָלָֽדוּ׃

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 וַיֵּיטֶב אֱלֹהִים לַֽמְיַלְּדֹת וַיִּרֶב הָעָם וַיַּֽעַצְמוּ מְאֹֽד׃

Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong.

21 וַיְהִי כִּֽי־יָרְאוּ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים וַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם בָּתִּֽים׃

And because the midwives feared God, he built them houses.

22 וַיְצַו פַּרְעֹה לְכׇל־עַמּוֹ לֵאמֹר כׇּל־הַבֵּן הַיִּלּוֹד הַיְאֹרָה תַּשְׁלִיכֻהוּ וְכׇל־הַבַּת תְּחַיּֽוּן׃

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.