Exodus, 1

1. These are the names of the Israelites who went with Jacob to Egypt, each of them went with his family:

1. These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:

2. Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah,

2. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

3. Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin,

3. Is'sachar, Zeb'ulun, and Benjamin,

4. Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

4. Dan and Naph'tali, Gad and Asher.

5. In all, the descendants of Jacob numbered seventy persons. Joseph was in Egypt already.

5. All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt.

6. Then Joseph died, and his brothers, and all that generation.

6. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.

7. But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific; they became so numerous and powerful that eventually the whole land was full of them.

7. But the descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong; so that the land was filled with them.

8. Then there came to power in Egypt a new king who had never heard of Joseph.

8. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

9. 'Look,' he said to his people, 'the Israelites are now more numerous and stronger than we are.

9. And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.

10. We must take precautions to stop them from increasing any further, or if war should break out, they might join the ranks of our enemies. They might take arms against us and then escape from the country.'

10. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war befall us, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land."

11. Accordingly they put taskmasters over the Israelites to wear them down by forced labour. In this way they built the store-cities of Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh.

11. Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens; and they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Ra-am'ses.

12. But the harder their lives were made, the more they increased and spread, until people came to fear the Israelites.

12. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.

13. So the Egyptians gave them no mercy in the demands they made,

13. So they made the people of Israel serve with rigor,

14. making their lives miserable with hard labour: with digging clay, making bricks, doing various kinds of field -- work -- all sorts of labour that they imposed on them without mercy.

14. and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field; in all their work they made them serve with rigor.

15. The king of Egypt then spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shiphrah, and the other Puah.

15. Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiph'rah and the other Pu'ah,

16. 'When you attend Hebrew women in childbirth,' he said, 'look at the two stones. If it is a boy, kill him; if a girl, let her live.'

16. "When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, she shall live."

17. But the midwives were God-fearing women and did not obey the orders of the king of Egypt, but allowed the boys to live.

17. But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.

18. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, 'What do you mean by allowing the boys to live?'

18. So the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the male children live?"

19. The midwives said to Pharaoh, 'Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women, they are hardy and give birth before the midwife can get to them.'

19. The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and are delivered before the midwife comes to them."

20. For this, God was good to the midwives, and the people went on increasing and growing more powerful;

20. So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and grew very strong.

21. and since the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.

21. And because the midwives feared God he gave them families.

22. Pharaoh then gave all his people this command: 'Throw every new-born boy into the river, but let all the girls live.'

22. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live."