Exodus 1
New Living Translation
The Israelites in Egypt
1 These are the names of the sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who moved to Egypt with their father, each with his family: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, 4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 5 In all, Jacob had seventy[a] descendants in Egypt, including Joseph, who was already there.
6 In time, Joseph and all of his brothers died, ending that entire generation. 7 But their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so greatly that they became extremely powerful and filled the land.
8 Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. 9 He said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. 10 We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.[b]”
11 So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor. They forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king. 12 But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became. 13 So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy. 14 They made their lives bitter, forcing them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all the work in the fields. They were ruthless in all their demands.
15 Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: 16 “When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver.[c] If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” 17 But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too.
18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. “Why have you done this?” he demanded. “Why have you allowed the boys to live?”
19 “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women,” the midwives replied. “They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time.”
20 So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile River. But you may let the girls live.”
Exodus 1
International Standard Version
The Israelis Prosper in Egypt
1 These are the names of the Israelis[a] who entered Egypt with Jacob, each one having come with his family:[b] 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, 3 Issacar, Zebulun, Benjamin, 4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 5 All those who descended from[c] Jacob totaled 75 persons.[d] Now Joseph was already[e] in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph, all his brothers, and that entire generation died. 7 But the Israelis were fruitful and increased abundantly.[f] They multiplied in numbers and became very, very strong. As a result, the land was filled with them.
The Israelis Become Slaves
8 Eventually a new king who was unacquainted with Joseph came to power in[g] Egypt. 9 He told his people, “Look, the Israeli people are more numerous and more powerful than we are. 10 Come on, let’s be careful how we treat them, so that when they grow numerous, if a war breaks out they won’t join our enemies, fight against us, and leave our land.” 11 So the Egyptians[h] placed supervisors over them, oppressing them with heavy burdens. The Israelis[i] built the supply cities of Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. 12 But the more the Egyptians afflicted the Israelis,[j] the more they multiplied and flourished, so that the Egyptians[k] became terrified of[l] the Israelis. 13 The Egyptians ruthlessly forced the Israelis to serve them, 14 making their lives bitter through hard labor with mortar, bricks, and all kinds of outdoor labor. They ruthlessly imposed all this[m] work on them.
Pharaoh Orders Male Children Killed
15 Later, the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah. 16 “When you help the Hebrew women give birth,” he said, “watch them as they deliver.[n] If it’s a son, kill him; but if it’s a daughter, let her live.” 17 But the midwives feared God and didn’t do what the king of Egypt told them. Instead,[o] they let the boys live.
18 When the king of Egypt called for the midwives, he asked them, “Why have you done this[p] and allowed the boys to live?”
19 “Hebrew women aren’t like Egyptian women,” the midwives replied to Pharaoh. “They’re so healthy that they give birth before the midwives arrive to help[q] them.”
20 God was pleased with the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong. 21 Because the midwives feared God, he provided families[r] for them. 22 Meanwhile, Pharaoh continued commanding all of his people, “You’re to throw every Hebrew[s] son who is born into the Nile River,[t] but you’re to allow every Hebrew[u] daughter to live.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 1:1 Lit. the sons of Israel and so throughout the book
- Exodus 1:1 Or household
- Exodus 1:5 Lit. came out of the loins of
- Exodus 1:5 So with DSS and LXX. MT reads 70
- Exodus 1:5 The Heb. lacks already
- Exodus 1:7 Lit. swarmed
- Exodus 1:8 Lit. arose over
- Exodus 1:11 Lit. they
- Exodus 1:11 Lit. They
- Exodus 1:12 Lit. them
- Exodus 1:12 Lit. they
- Exodus 1:12 Or came to loathe
- Exodus 1:14 Lit. their
- Exodus 1:16 Lit. them on the birth stool
- Exodus 1:17 The Heb. lacks Instead
- Exodus 1:18 Lit. this thing
- Exodus 1:19 The Heb. lacks to help
- Exodus 1:21 Or households; lit. houses
- Exodus 1:22 The Heb. lacks Hebrew
- Exodus 1:22 The Heb. lacks River
- Exodus 1:22 The Heb. lacks Hebrew
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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