Exodus 1:7-12

New King James Version

^7 (A)But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and ^[a]grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

⁸ Now there arose a new king over Egypt, ^(B)who did not know Joseph. ⁹ And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and ^(C)mightier than we; ^10 (D)come, let us ^(E)deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.” ¹¹ Therefore they set taskmasters over them ^(F)to afflict them with their ^(G)burdens. And they built for Pharaoh ^(H)supply cities, Pithom ^(I)and Raamses. ¹² But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.