| 1 | These are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: |
| 2 | Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, |
| 3 | Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, |
| 4 | Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. |
| 5 | All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. |
| 6 | Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. |
| 7 | But the descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, and the land was full of them. |
| 8 | Now a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. |
| 9 | He said to his people, Behold, the Israelites are too many and too mighty for us [and they
[a]outnumber us both in people and in strength]. |
| 10 | Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply more and, should war befall us, they join our enemies, fight against us, and escape out of the land. |
| 11 | So they set over [the Israelites] taskmasters to afflict
and
oppress them with [increased] burdens. And [the Israelites] built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. |
| 12 | But the more [the Egyptians] oppressed them, the more they multiplied and expanded, so that [the Egyptians] were vexed
and
alarmed because of the Israelites. |
| 13 | And the Egyptians reduced the Israelites to severe slavery. |
| 14 | They made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar, brick, and all kinds of work in the field. All their service was with harshness
and
severity. |
| 15 | Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, of whom one was named Shiprah and the other Puah, |
| 16 | When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, she shall live. |
| 17 | But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded, but let the male babies live. |
| 18 | So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, Why have you done this thing and allowed the male children to live? |
| 19 | The midwives answered Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; they are vigorous and quickly delivered; their babies are born before the midwife comes to them. |
| 20 | So God dealt well with the midwives and the people multiplied and became very strong. |
| 21 | And because the midwives revered
and
feared God, He made them households [of their own]. |
| 22 | Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son born [to the Hebrews] you shall cast into the river [Nile], but every daughter you shall allow to live. |
|