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Israel's family go to Egypt

Here are the names of the Israelites who went to Egypt with Jacob.[a] Each one went there with his family.

Jacob's sons were Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. Jacob himself had 70 descendants. His other son, Joseph, was already in Egypt.

After some time, Joseph died. Joseph's brothers and all his generation also died. But the Israelites had many children, so they grew into a very large family. They became very powerful. They were everywhere in the whole country.

Later, a new king began to rule in Egypt. He did not know anything about Joseph.[b] He said to his people, ‘Look! The Israelites have become too many for us. They are more powerful than we are. 10 We must find a clever way to stop them. If we do nothing, their families will become even bigger. Then, if there is a war, they will join our enemies and they will fight against us. That will give the Israelites a chance to leave our country.’

11 So the Egyptians made the Israelites work as their slaves. The Egyptian masters made the Israelites do very hard work. They had to build cities for the king, Pharaoh, where he could store food for his people. The names of the cities were Pithom and Rameses.

12 The Egyptians made the Israelites work more and more. But the Israelites still became more in number. They had many children and they lived in every part of the country. Because of this, the Egyptians began to be afraid of them. 13 So the Egyptians made the Israelites work without any rest. 14 The Israelites became very upset because of all the difficult work. They had to build houses with bricks and mortar.[c] They also did many different kinds of work in the fields. The Egyptians made the Israelites do all this difficult work.

15 There were two Israelite women who helped the other women when they were giving birth. These two women were called Shiphrah and Puah. The king of Egypt said to them, 16 ‘When you help the Israelite women at the birth of their children, this is what you must do. If she gives birth to a son, kill him. But if the child is a daughter, you may let her live.’

17 But the two women respected God. So they did not do what the king of Egypt had told them. They obeyed God and they let the boys live.

18 Then the king of Egypt called the two women to come to him. He asked them, ‘Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?’ 19 The two women said to Pharaoh, ‘Israelite women are not like Egyptian women. Israelite women are very strong. They give birth to their babies very quickly, before we arrive at the house.’

20 Because the two women respected God, he was kind to them. The Israelite people continued to grow in number. They became very strong. 21 Because the two women obeyed God, he gave them families of their own.

22 Then Pharaoh spoke to all the Egyptian people. He said, ‘When an Israelite boy is born, you must throw him in the river Nile. But you can let the baby girls live.’

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 God gave Jacob a new name, ‘Israel’. See Genesis 32:28; 35:10. So Jacob's descendants were called Israelites.
  2. 1:8 The new king did not know what had happened before. He did not know that Joseph had given food to the Egyptians in a time of famine. See Genesis 37—50.
  3. 1:14 ‘mortar’ is a mixture of sand and other materials used to fix bricks together.

Israel’s Suffering in Egypt

Now (A)these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All those [a]who were descendants of Jacob were (B)seventy[b] persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). And (C)Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. (D)But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and [c]grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, (E)who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and (F)mightier than we; 10 (G)come, let us (H)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 (I)to afflict them with their (J)burdens. And they built for Pharaoh (K)supply cities, Pithom (L)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. 13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel (M)serve with [d]rigor. 14 And they (N)made their lives bitter with hard bondage—(O)in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the (P)Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; 16 and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a (Q)son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives (R)feared God, and did not do (S)as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?”

19 And (T)the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they [e]are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.”

20 (U)Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and [f]grew very mighty. 21 And so it was, because the midwives feared God, (V)that He [g]provided households for them.

22 So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, (W)“Every son who is [h]born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 1:5 Lit. who came from the loins of
  2. Exodus 1:5 DSS, LXX seventy-five; cf. Acts 7:14
  3. Exodus 1:7 became very numerous
  4. Exodus 1:13 harshness
  5. Exodus 1:19 have vigor of life, bear quickly, easily
  6. Exodus 1:20 became very numerous
  7. Exodus 1:21 gave them families
  8. Exodus 1:22 Sam., LXX, Tg. add to the Hebrews

ESTOS son los nombres de los hijos de Israel, que entraron en Egipto con Jacob; cada uno entró con su familia.

Rubén, Simeón, Leví y Judá;

Issachâr, Zabulón y Benjamín;

Dan y Nephtalí, Gad y Aser.

Y todas las almas de los que salieron del muslo de Jacob, fueron setenta. Y José estaba en Egipto.

Y murió José, y todos sus hermanos, y toda aquella generación.

Y los hijos de Israel crecieron, y multiplicaron, y fueron aumentados y corroborados en extremo; y llenóse la tierra de ellos.

Levantóse entretanto un nuevo rey sobre Egipto, que no conocía á José; el cual dijo á su pueblo:

He aquí, el pueblo de los hijos de Israel es mayor y más fuerte que nosotros:

10 Ahora, pues, seamos sabios para con él, porque no se multiplique, y acontezca que viniendo guerra, él también se junte con nuestros enemigos, y pelee contra nosotros, y se vaya de la tierra.

11 Entonces pusieron sobre él comisarios de tributos que los molestasen con sus cargas; y edificaron á Faraón las ciudades de los bastimentos, Phithom y Raamses.

12 Empero cuanto más los oprimían, tanto más se multiplicaban y crecían: así que estaban ellos fastidiados de los hijos de Israel.

13 Y los Egipcios hicieron servir á los hijos de Israel con dureza:

14 Y amargaron su vida con dura servidumbre, en hacer barro y ladrillo, y en toda labor del campo, y en todo su servicio, al cual los obligaban con rigorismo.

15 Y habló el rey de Egipto á las parteras de las Hebreas, una de las cuales se llamaba Siphra, y otra Phúa, y díjoles:

16 Cuando parteareis á las Hebreas, y mirareis los asientos, si fuere hijo, matadlo; y si fuere hija, entonces viva.

17 Mas las parteras temieron á Dios, y no hicieron como les mandó el rey de Egipto, sino que reservaban la vida á los niños.

18 Y el rey de Egipto hizo llamar á las parteras y díjoles: ¿Por qué habéis hecho esto, que habéis reservado la vida á los niños?

19 Y las parteras respondieron á Faraón: Porque las mujeres Hebreas no son como las Egipcias: porque son robustas, y paren antes que la partera venga á ellas.

20 Y Dios hizo bien á las parteras: y el pueblo se multiplicó, y se corroboraron en gran manera.

21 Y por haber las parteras temido á Dios, él les hizo casas.

22 Entonces Faraón mandó á todo su pueblo, diciendo: Echad en el río todo hijo que naciere, y á toda hija reservad la vida.

The Israelites Oppressed

These are the names of the sons of Israel(A) who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.(B) The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy[a] in all;(C) Joseph was already in Egypt.

Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,(D) but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers(E) 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.(F) “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous(G) for us.(H) 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly(I) 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.”(J)

11 So they put slave masters(K) over them to oppress them with forced labor,(L) and they built Pithom and Rameses(M) as store cities(N) for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly.(O) 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor(P) in brick(Q) and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.(R)

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives,(S) whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”(T) 17 The midwives, however, feared(U) God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do;(V) they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”(W)

20 So God was kind to the midwives(X) and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared(Y) God, he gave them families(Z) of their own.

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

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 1:5 Masoretic Text (see also Gen. 46:27); Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14 and note at Gen. 46:27) seventy-five