Exodus Chapter 1 Back Next{1:1} Now these are the names of the sons of
Israel, who came into
Egypt (every man and his household came with
Jacob):
{1:2} Reuben, Simeon,
Levi, and
Judah,
{1:3}
Issachar, Zebulun, and
Benjamin,
{1:4} Dan and Naphtali,
Gad and
Asher.
{1:5} All the souls who came out of Jacob's body were seventy souls, and
Joseph was in Egypt already.
{1:6} Joseph died, as did all his
brothers, and all that generation.
{1:7} The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
{1:8} Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn't know Joseph.
{1:9} He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.
{1:10} Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and escape out of the land."
{1:11} Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.
{1:12} But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They were grieved because of the children of Israel.
{1:13} The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,
{1:14} and they made their lives
bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the
field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
{1:15} The king of Egypt spoke to the
Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,
{1:16} and he said, "When you perform the duty of a
midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the
birth stool; if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live."
{1:17} But the midwives feared
God, and didn't do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.
{1:18} The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and have saved the boys alive?"
{1:19} The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women aren't like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth before the midwife comes to them."
{1:20} God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.
{1:21} It happened, because the midwives feared God, that he gave them families.
{1:22} Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive."
Exodus Chapter 1 Back Next