Exodus 1
1
1These are the names of the Israelites who came to Egypt with Jacob along with their households: 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5The total number in Jacob’s family was seventy. Joseph was already in Egypt. 6Eventually, Joseph, his brothers, and everyone in his generation died. 7But the Israelites were fertile and became populous. They multiplied and grew dramatically, filling the whole land.
Israel is oppressed
8Now a new king came to power in Egypt who didn’t know Joseph. 9He said to his people, “The Israelite people are now larger in number and stronger than we are. 10Come on, let’s be smart and deal with them. Otherwise, they will only grow in number. And if war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and then escape from the land.” 11As a result, the Egyptians put foremen of forced work gangs over the Israelites to harass them with hard work. They had to build storage cities named Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. 12But the more they were oppressed, the more they grew and spread, so much so that the Egyptians started to look at the Israelites with disgust and dread. 13So the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites. 14They made their lives miserable with hard labor, making mortar and bricks, doing field work, and by forcing them to do all kinds of other cruel work.
15The king of Egypt spoke to two Hebrew midwives named Shiphrah and Puah: 16“When you are helping the Hebrew women give birth and you see the baby being born, if it’s a boy, kill him. But if it’s a girl, you can let her live.” 17Now the two midwives respected God so they didn’t obey the Egyptian king’s order. Instead, they let the baby boys live.
18So the king of Egypt called the two midwives and said to them, “Why are you doing this? Why are you letting the baby boys live?”
19The two midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because Hebrew women aren’t like Egyptian women. They’re much stronger and give birth before any midwives can get to them.” 20So God treated the midwives well, and the people kept on multiplying and became very strong. 21And because the midwives respected God, God gave them households of their own.
22Then Pharaoh gave an order to all his people: “Throw every baby boy born to the Hebrews into the Nile River, but you can let all the girls live.”
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Exodus 1: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Exodus 1
1
1Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt (euery man and his housholde came thither with Iaakob) 2Reuben, Simeon, Leui, and Iudah, 3Issachar, Zebulun, and Beniamin, 4Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 5So al the soules, that came out of the loines of Iaakob, were seuentie soules: Ioseph was in Egypt already. 6Nowe Ioseph died and all his brethren, and that whole generation. 7And the children of Israel brought foorth fruite and encreased in aboundance, and were multiplied, and were exceeding mightie, so that the land was full of them. 8Then there rose vp a newe King in Egypt, who knewe not Ioseph. 9And he sayde vnto his people, Beholde, the people of the children of Israel are greater and mightier then we. 10Come, let vs worke wisely with them, least they multiplie, and it come to passe, that if there be warre, they ioyne them selues also vnto our enemies, and fight against vs, and get them out of the land. 11Therefore did they set taskemasters ouer them, to keepe the vnder with burdens: and they built the cities Pithom and Raamses for the treasures of Pharaoh. 12But the more they vexed them, the more they multiplied and grewe: therefore they were more grieued against the children of Israel. 13Wherefore the Egyptians by crueltie caused the children of Israel to serue. 14Thus they made them weary of their liues by sore labour in clay and in bricke, and in al worke in the fielde, with all maner of bondage, which they layde vpon them most cruelly. 15Moreouer the King of Egypt commanded ye midwiues of the Ebrewe women, (of which the ones name was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah) 16And sayde, When ye doe the office of a midwife to the women of the Ebrewes, and see them on their stooles, if it be a sonne, then yee shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then let her liue. 17Notwithstanding ye midwiues feared God, and did not as the King of Egypt commanded them, but preserued aliue the men children. 18Then the King of Egypt called for the midwiues, and sayde vnto them, Why haue yee done thus, and haue preserued aliue the men children? 19And the midwiues answered Pharaoh, Because the Ebrewe women are not as the women of Egypt: for they are liuely, and are deliuered yer the midwife come at them. 20God therefore prospered the midwiues, and the people multiplied and were very mightie. 21And because ye midwiues feared God, therefore he made them houses. 22Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Euery man childe that is borne, cast yee into the riuer, but reserue euery maide childe aliue.
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