Exodus 1
1
The People of Israel Suffer
1-5 #
Gn 46.8-27. When Jacob went to Egypt, his son Joseph was already there. So Jacob took his eleven other sons and their families. They were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. Altogether, Jacob had 70 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren#1.1-5 70 children … great-grandchildren: See Genesis 46.8-27. who went with him.
6After Joseph, his brothers, and everyone else in that generation had died, 7#Ac 7.17. the people of Israel became so numerous that the whole region of Goshen was full of them.
8 #
Ac 7.18. Many years later a new king came to power. He did not know what Joseph had done for Egypt, 9and he told the Egyptians:
There are too many of those Israelites in our country, and they are becoming more powerful than we are. 10#3 Macc 3.24; Ac 7.19. If we don't outsmart them, their families will keep growing larger. And if our country goes to war, they could easily fight on the side of our enemies and escape from Egypt.
11The Egyptians put slave bosses in charge of the people of Israel and tried to wear them down with hard work. Those bosses forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses,#1.11 Pithom and Rameses: This is the only mention of Pithom in the Bible; its exact location is unknown, though it was probably in the northern Delta of Egypt. Rameses is the famous Delta city that was the home of Rameses II; its exact location is also unknown. where the king#1.11 the king: The Hebrew text has “Pharaoh,” a Hebrew word sometimes used for the title of the king of Egypt. could store his supplies. 12But even though the Israelites were mistreated, their families grew larger, and they took over more land. Because of this, the Egyptians feared them worse than before 13and made them work so hard 14that their lives were miserable. The Egyptians were cruel to the people of Israel and forced them to make bricks and to mix mortar and to work in the fields.
15Finally, the king called in Shiphrah and Puah, the two women who helped the Hebrew#1.15 Hebrew: An earlier term for “Israelite.” mothers when they gave birth. 16He told them, “If a Hebrew woman gives birth to a girl, let the child live. If the baby is a boy, kill him!”
17But the two women were faithful to God and did not kill the boys, even though the king had told them to. 18The king called them in again and asked, “Why are you letting those baby boys live?”
19They answered, “Hebrew women have their babies much quicker than Egyptian women. By the time we arrive, their babies are already born.” 20-21God was good to the two women because they truly respected him, and he blessed them with children of their own.
The Hebrews kept increasing 22#Ac 7.19. until finally, the king gave a command to everyone in the nation, “As soon as a Hebrew boy is born, throw him into the Nile River! But you can let the girls live.”
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Exodus 1: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Exodus 1
1
1These are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in, every man with his household:
2Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda,
3Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,
4Dan, and Nephtali, Gad and Aser.
5And all the souls that came out of Jacob's thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt.
6After he was dead, and all his brethren, and all that generation,
7The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes. And growing exceedingly strong they filled the land.
8In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not Joseph.
9And he said to his people: Behold, the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we.
10Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply: and if any war shall rise against us, join with our enemies, and having overcome us, depart out of the land.
11Therefore he set over them masters of the works, to afflict them with burdens. And they built for Pharao cities of tabernacles, Phithom and Ramesses.
12But the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied, and increased.
13And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel: and afflicted them and mocked them
14And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth.
15And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews, of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua,
16Commanding them: When you shall do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery is come: if it be a man child, kill it: if a woman, keep it alive.
17But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded; but saved the men children.
18And the king called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men children?
19They answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women. For they themselves are skillful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we come to them.
20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong.
21And because the midwives feared God, he built them houses.
22Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.