| 1. | These are the names of the sons of Israel who, accompanied by their households, migrated with Jacob into Egypt: |
| 2. | Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; |
| 3. | Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; |
| 4. | Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. |
| 5. | The total number of the direct descendants of Jacob was seventy. Joseph was already in Egypt. |
| 6. | Now Joseph and all his brothers and that whole generation died. |
| 7. | But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific. They became so numerous and strong that the land was filled with them. |
| 8. | Then a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph , came to power in Egypt. |
| 9. | He said to his subjects, "Look how numerous and powerful the Israelite people are growing, more so than we ourselves! |
| 10. | Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave our country." |
| 11. | Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. Thus they had to build for Pharaoh the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses. |
| 12. | Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. The Egyptians, then, dreaded the Israelites |
| 13. | and reduced them to cruel slavery, |
| 14. | making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick and all kinds of field work--the whole cruel fate of slaves. |
| 15. | The king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shiphrah and the other Puah, |
| 16. | When you act as midwives for the Hebrew women and see them giving birth, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she may live." |
| 17. | The midwives, however, feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt had ordered them, but let the boys live. |
| 18. | So the king summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you acted thus, allowing the boys to live?" |
| 19. | The midwives answered Pharaoh, "The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They are robust and give birth before the midwife arrives." |
| 20. | Therefore God dealt well with the midwives. The people, too, increased and grew strong. |
| 21. | And because the midwives feared God, he built up families for them. |
| 22. | Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects, "Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you may let all the girls live." |
