Exodus 1

1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came 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 All the souls who came out of Jacob’s body were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already.

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

6 Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation.

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

7 The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

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

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph.

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

9 He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier 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, let’s deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and escape 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 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.

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 the more they spread out. They started to dread the children of Israel.

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

13 The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,

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

14 and they made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.

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 The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other 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 you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is 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 didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby 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 The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and saved the boys alive?”

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

19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth 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 God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.

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

21 Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

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

22 Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you 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.”