¹⁸ So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and allowed the boy babies to live?” ¹⁹ The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth quickly and their babies are born before the midwife can get to them.” ²⁰ So God was good to the midwives, and the people [of Israel] multiplied and became very strong.