Exodus 1

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.

5 The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all, including Joseph, who was already in Egypt.

6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,

7 but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.

8 Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt.

9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.

10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”

11 So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.

13 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly

14 and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.

15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,

16 “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.”

17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.

18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives.”

20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became even more numerous.

21 And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.

22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people: “Every son born to the Hebrews you must throw into the Nile, but every daughter you may allow to live.”

1 ¶ Now these [are] the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt [already].

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

7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

8 ¶ Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel [are] more and mightier than we:

10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and [so] get them up out of the land.

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

12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:

14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, [was] with rigour.

15 ¶ And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one [was] Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see [them] upon the stools; if it [be] a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it [be] a daughter, then she shall live.

17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

18 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 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 midwives come in unto them.

20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

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

22 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.

1 These are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt with Jacob; every man entered in with his household:

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,

3 Isashar, Zebulun, Benjamin,

4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asser

5 And of all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob there were seventy. And Joseph was before in Egypt.

6 Now when Joseph was dead, and all his brethren, and all that were alive at that time,

7 And the children of Israel begat children, and multiplied; and they multiplied exceedingly, and the land was full of them.

8 And there arose a new king in Egypt, which knew not Joseph;

9 And said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are many and more than we.

10 Well, let us restrain them with stratagems, that there be not so many of them. For if there be a war, they will join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and go forth to the land.

11 And they set officers over them, to oppress them with heavy service: for they built for Pharaoh the cities of Pithon and Raemses for treasuries.

12 But the more they oppressed the people, the more they multiplied and spread abroad. And they held the children of Israel as an abomination.

13 And the Egyptians compelled the children of Israel to service with ruthlessness.

14 And made their lives grievous with hard labour in the clay and bricks, and with all manner of mirth in the field, and with all manner of work, which they laid upon them with unmercifulness.

15 And the king of Egypt spake unto the women of Egypt, whose name was Siphra, and the name of the other Puah:

16 If ye help the women of Egypt, and see in the throne that it is a son, slay him: but if it be a daughter, let her live.

17 But the wombs feared GOD, and did not as the king of Egypt had said unto them, but let the children live.

18 Then the king of Egypt called unto the mothers of sorrow, and said unto them: Why do ye this, that ye suffer the children to live?

19 And the women said unto Pharaoh, The women of Egypt are not like the women of Egypt: for they are hard women: before the mother of sorrow cometh to them, they have given birth.

20 Therefore God did good unto the worshippers. And the people multiplied and became very many.

21 And because the women feared God, he built them houses.

22 And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, Every son that is born cast into the water, and every daughter let live.