Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,(A) but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers(B) and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.(C) “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous(D) for us.(E) 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly(F) with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”(G)

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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 exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

Now there arose 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:

10 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.

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22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile,(A) but let every girl live.”(B)

The Birth of Moses

Now a man of the tribe of Levi(C) married a Levite woman,(D) and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine(E) child, she hid him for three months.(F) But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus(G) basket[a] for him and coated it with tar and pitch.(H) Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds(I) along the bank of the Nile. His sister(J) stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank.(K) She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 2:3 The Hebrew can also mean ark, as in Gen. 6:14.

22 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.

And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.

And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.