Exodus 1
1
Israel Comes to Egypt
1These are the names of the sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who came with him to Egypt with their families: 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. 5Joseph was already in Egypt. The total number of Jacob’s descendants was 70.
6Eventually, Joseph, all his brothers, and that entire generation died. 7But the descendants of Israel had many children. They became so numerous and strong that the land was filled with them.
The Israelites Become Slaves
8Then a new king, who knew nothing about Joseph, began to rule in Egypt. 9He said to his people, “There are too many Israelites, and they are stronger than we are. 10We have to outsmart them, or they’ll increase in number. Then, if war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”
11So the Egyptians put slave drivers in charge of them in order to oppress them through forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh. 12But the more the Israelites were oppressed, the more they increased in number and spread out. The Egyptians couldn’t stand them ⌞any longer⌟. 13So they forced the Israelites to work hard as slaves. 14They made their lives bitter with back-breaking work in mortar and bricks and every kind of work in the fields. All the jobs the Egyptians gave them were brutally hard.
Pharaoh Tells the Midwives to Kill All Hebrew Baby Boys
15Then the king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16“When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth, look at the child when you deliver it. If it’s a boy, kill it, but if it’s a girl, let it live.”
17However, the midwives feared God and didn’t obey the king of Egypt’s orders. They let the boys live. 18So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. He asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”
19The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women. They are so healthy that they have their babies before a midwife arrives.”
20God was good to the midwives. So the people increased in number and became very strong. 21Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people to throw into the Nile every ⌞Hebrew⌟ boy that was born, but to let every girl live.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Exodus 1
1
1And these are the names of the sons of Israel who had come into Egypt; with Jacob had they come, each with his household: 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. 5And all the souls that had come out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt. 6And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. 7And the children of Israel were fruitful, and swarmed and multiplied, and became exceeding strong; and the land was full of them.
8And there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and stronger than we. 10Come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass that, if war occur, they take side with our enemies and fight against us, and go up out of the land. 11And they set over them service-masters to oppress them with their burdens. And they built store-cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Rameses. 12But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and spread; and they were distressed because of the children of Israel. 13And the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with harshness; 14and they embittered their life with hard labour in clay and bricks, and in all manner of labour in the field: all their labour with which they made them serve was with harshness.
15And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives — of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other was Puah — 16and he said, When ye help the Hebrew women in bearing, and see them on the stool, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him, but if a daughter, then she shall live. 17But the midwives feared God#GodHebrew: Elohim and did not as the king of Egypt had said to them, but saved the male children alive. 18And the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, Why have ye done this, and saved the male children alive? 19And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian; for they are strong, and they have borne before the midwife comes to them. 20And God#GodHebrew: Elohim dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. 21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God#GodHebrew: Elohim that he made them houses. 22Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, but every daughter ye shall save alive.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.