RSV Exodus 1 Chapter
1:1
These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:
1:2
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
1:3
Is'sachar, Zeb'ulun, and Benjamin,
1:4
Dan and Naph'tali, Gad and Asher.
1:5
All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons;Joseph was already in Egypt.
1:6
Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.
1:7
But the descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly;they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong;so that the land was filled with them.
1:8
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
1:9
And he said to his people, 'Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.
1:10
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.'
1:11
Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens;and they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Ra-am'ses.
1:12
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.
1:13
So they made the people of Israel serve with rigor,
1:14
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.
1:15
Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiph'rah and the other Pu'ah,
1:16
'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.'
1:17
But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.
1:18
So the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them, 'Why have you done this, and let the male children live?'
1:19
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.'
1:20
So God dealt well with the midwives;and the people multiplied and grew very strong.
1:21
And because the midwives feared God he gave them families.
1:22
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.'