Exodus 1

1 And these [are] the names of the sons of Israel who are coming into Egypt; each man and his household have come with Jacob:

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 persons coming out of the thigh of Jacob are seventy persons; as for Joseph, he 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 dies, and all his brothers, and all that generation;

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

7 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.

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

8 And there rises a new king over Egypt, who has not known Joseph,

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

9 and he says to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel [are] more numerous and mighty 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 Give help! Let us act wisely concerning it, lest it multiply, and it has come to pass, when war happens, that it has been joined, even it, to those hating us, and has fought against us, and has gone 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 princes of tribute over it, so as to afflict it with their burdens, and it builds the store-cities of Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh;

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 and as they afflict it, so it multiplies, and so it breaks forth, and they are distressed because of the sons of Israel;

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

13 and the Egyptians cause the sons of Israel to serve with rigor,

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

14 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 rigor.

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 speaks to the midwives, the Hebrewesses (of whom the name of the first [is] Shiphrah, and the name of the second Puah),

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

16 and says, “When you cause the Hebrew women to bear, and have looked on the children, if it [is] a son, then you have put him to death; and if it [is] a daughter, then she has lived.”

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 And the midwives fear God, and have not done as the king of Egypt has spoken to them, and they keep the boys 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 calls for the midwives and says to them, “Why have you done this thing, and keep the boys alive?”

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

19 And the midwives say to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women [are] not as the Egyptian women, for they [are] lively; before the midwife comes to them—they have borne!”

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 does good to the midwives, and the people multiply, and are very mighty;

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

21 and it comes to pass, because the midwives have feared God, that He makes households for them;

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

22 and Pharaoh lays a charge on all his people, saying, “Every son who is born—you cast him into the River, and every daughter you keep 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.”