Exodus 1

1 And these are the names of the sons of Israel who had come into Egypt; with Jacob had they come, each with his household:

These are the names of the sons of Israel, who went into Egypt with Jacob. They entered, each one with his house:

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.

Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5 And all the souls that had come out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt.

Therefore, all the souls of those who went forth from Jacob’s thigh were seventy. Now Joseph was in Egypt.

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

When he had died, along with all of his brothers and all of that generation,

7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and swarmed and multiplied, and became exceeding strong; and the land was full of them.

the sons of Israel increased, and they multiplied like seedlings. And having been strengthened exceedingly, they filled the land.

8 And there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

Meanwhile, there arose a new king over Egypt, who was ignorant of Joseph.

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

And he said to his people: “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are many, and they are stronger than we are.

10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass that, if war occur, they take side with our enemies and fight against us, and go up out of the land.

Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply; and if any war should advance against us, they may be added to our enemies, and having fought against us, they might depart from the land.”

11 And they set over them service-masters to oppress them with their burdens. And they built store-cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Rameses.

And so he set over them masters of the works, in order to afflict them with burdens. And they built for Pharaoh the cities of the tabernacles: Pithom and Raamses.

12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and spread; and they were distressed because of the children of Israel.

And the more they oppressed them, so much more did they multiply and increase.

13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with harshness;

And the Egyptians hated the sons of Israel, and they afflicted them and mocked them.

14 and they embittered their life with hard labour in clay and bricks, and in all manner of labour in the field: all their labour with which they made them serve was with harshness.

And they led their life directly into bitterness, with hard work in clay and brick, and with all kinds of servitude, so that they were being overwhelmed with the works of the land.

15 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 was Puah —

Then the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews, (one of whom one was called Shiphrah, another Puah)

16 and he said, When ye help the Hebrew women in bearing, and see [them] on the stool, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him, but if a daughter, then she shall live.

instructing them: “When you will act as a midwife to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery has arrived: if it is male, put it to death; if it is female, retain it.”

17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt had said to them, but saved the male children alive.

But the midwives feared God, and so they did not act according to the precept of the king of Egypt, but they kept the males safe.

18 And the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, Why have ye done this, and saved the male children alive?

And summoning them, the king said, “What did you intend to do, so that you would save the boys?”

19 And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian; for they are strong, and they have borne before the midwife comes to them.

They responded: “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. For they themselves have the wisdom of a midwife, and so they give birth before we can come to them.”

20 And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong.

Therefore, God acted favorably toward the midwives. And the people increased, and they were strengthened exceedingly.

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

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

22 Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, but every daughter ye shall save alive.

Therefore, Pharaoh instructed all his people, saying: “Whatever will be born of the male sex, cast it into the river; whatever will be born of the female sex, retain it.”