Exodus Chapter 1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into
Egypt.
Every man and his household came with Jacob.
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls.
For Joseph was in Egypt already, and Joseph died, and all his brethren,
and all that generation.
And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied,
and waxed exceedingly mighty.
And the land was filled with them.
Now there rose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are
more and mightier than we.
Come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply.
And it come to pass, that when there falleth out any war, they join also unto
our enemies, and fight against us.
And so get them up out of the land.
Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their
burdens.
And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom, and Ramesses.
But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew,
and they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor, and they made
their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner
of service in the field.
All their service wherein they made them serve was with rigor.
And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of one was
Shiphrah, and the name of the other Pua.
And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them
upon the stools, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him.
But if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them,
but saved the men children alive.
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye
done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?
And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the
Egyptian women, for they are lively, and under delivered air the midwives come
in unto them.
Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and
waxed very mighty.
And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall
cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.