1:1 | *These* are the names* of the sons of Israel* who entered Egypt – each man with his household* entered with Jacob: |
1:2 | Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, |
1:3 | Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, |
1:4 | Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. |
1:5 | All the people* who were directly descended* from Jacob numbered seventy.* But Joseph was already in Egypt,* |
1:6 | and in time* Joseph* and his brothers and all that generation died. |
1:7 | The Israelites,* however,* were fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and became extremely strong,* so that the land was filled with them. |
1:8 | Then a new king,* who did not know about* Joseph, came to power* over Egypt. |
1:9 | He said* to his people, “Look at* the Israelite people, more numerous and stronger than we are! |
1:10 | Come, let’s deal wisely* with them. Otherwise* they will continue to multiply,* and if* a war breaks out, they will ally themselves with* our enemies and fight against us and leave* the country.” |
1:11 | So they put foremen* over the Israelites* to oppress* them with hard labor. As a result* they built Pithom and Rameses* as store cities for Pharaoh. |
1:12 | But the more the Egyptians* oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread.* As a result the Egyptians loathed* the Israelites, |
1:13 | and they* made the Israelites serve rigorously.* |
1:14 | They made their lives bitter* by* hard service with mortar and bricks and by all kinds of service* in the fields. Every kind of service the Israelites were required to give was rigorous.* |
1:15 | The king of Egypt said* to the Hebrew midwives,* one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,* |
1:16 | * “When you assist* the Hebrew women in childbirth, observe at the delivery:* If it is a son, kill him,* but if it is a daughter, she may live.”* |
1:17 | But* the midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.* |
1:18 | Then the king of Egypt summoned* the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?”* |
1:19 | The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew* women are not like the Egyptian women – for the Hebrew women* are vigorous; they give birth before the midwife gets to them!”* |
1:20 | So God treated the midwives well,* and the people multiplied and became very strong. |
1:21 | And because the midwives feared God, he made* households* for them. |
1:22 | Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “All sons* that are born you must throw* into the river, but all daughters you may let live.”* |