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Israel Comes to Egypt

These are the names of the sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who came with him to Egypt with their families: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. Joseph was already in Egypt. The total number of Jacob’s descendants was 70.

Eventually, Joseph, all his brothers, and that entire generation died. But the descendants of Israel had many children. They became so numerous and strong that the land was filled with them.

The Israelites Become Slaves

Then a new king, who knew nothing about Joseph, began to rule in Egypt. He said to his people, “There are too many Israelites, and they are stronger than we are. 10 We have to outsmart them, or they’ll increase in number. Then, if war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”

11 So the Egyptians put slave drivers in charge of them in order to oppress them through forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more the Israelites were oppressed, the more they increased in number and spread out. The Egyptians couldn’t stand them any longer. 13 So they forced the Israelites to work hard as slaves. 14 They made their lives bitter with back-breaking work in mortar and bricks and every kind of work in the fields. All the jobs the Egyptians gave them were brutally hard.

Pharaoh Tells the Midwives to Kill All Hebrew Baby Boys

15 Then the king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth, look at the child when you deliver it. If it’s a boy, kill it, but if it’s a girl, let it live.”

17 However, the midwives feared Elohim and didn’t obey the king of Egypt’s orders. They let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. He 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 so healthy that they have their babies before a midwife arrives.”

20 Elohim was good to the midwives. So the people increased in number and became very strong. 21 Because the midwives feared Elohim, he gave them families of their own.

22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people to throw into the Nile every Hebrew boy that was born, but to let every girl live.

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

Israeliterna blir slavar i Egypten

(A) Detta är namnen på Israels söner. De kom till Egypten[a] tillsammans med Jakob, var och en med sitt hus: Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda, Isaskar, Sebulon, Benjamin, Dan, Naftali, Gad och Asher. (B) De som härstammade från Jakob var sammanlagt sjuttio personer. Josef var redan i Egypten. Sedan dog han och alla hans bröder, hela den generationen. (C) Men Israels barn var fruktsamma och blev fler, de förökade sig och blev mycket talrika så att landet blev uppfyllt av dem[b].

Och det kom en ny kung i Egypten, en som inte kände till Josef[c]. Han sade till sitt folk: ”Se, Israels barns folk har blivit för stort och mäktigt för oss. 10 Nu ska vi gå klokt till väga med dem. Annars kanske de förökar sig ännu mer, och om det blir krig kan de gå samman med våra fiender och föra krig mot oss och sedan ge sig av från landet.”

11 Därför satte man arbetsledare över dem och plågade dem med tvångsarbete[d]. De byggde förrådsstäderna Pitom[e] och Raamses[f] åt farao[g]. 12 Men ju mer man plågade dem, desto mer förökade de sig och desto mer spred de ut sig, så att man kände fruktan för Israels barn. 13 (D) Egyptierna tvingade israeliterna att arbeta som slavar. 14 De gjorde livet svårt för dem genom hårt arbete med murbruk och tegel[h] och med allt arbete på fälten, med alla slags arbeten som de tvingade dem att utföra.

15 Kungen av Egypten talade med dem som förlöste de hebreiska kvinnorna. En av dem hette Shifra och den andra Pua, 16 och han sade: ”Se efter vad de hebreiska kvinnorna föder när ni förlöser dem: Om det är en son så döda honom, om det är en dotter så låt henne leva.”

17 (E) Men barnmorskorna fruktade Gud och gjorde inte som den egyptiske kungen hade befallt dem utan lät barnen leva. 18 Då kallade kungen till sig barnmorskorna och sade till dem: ”Varför har ni gjort så här och låtit barnen leva?” 19 Barnmorskorna svarade farao: ”Hebreiska kvinnor är inte som egyptiska. De är livskraftiga, de har fött innan barnmorskan kommer till dem.” 20 Och Gud lät det gå väl för barnmorskorna, och folket förökades och blev mycket talrikt. 21 Eftersom barnmorskorna fruktade Gud gav han dem egna familjer.

22 (F) Då befallde farao allt sitt folk: ”Alla nyfödda pojkar ska ni kasta i Nilen, men alla flickor ska ni låta leva.”

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 kom till Egypten   Dateras ofta till ca 1876 f Kr (men se not till 12:40).
  2. 1:7 landet blev uppfyllt av dem   Under århundradena efter Josef blev semitiska folk, dit israeliterna räknas, allt mer tongivande i norra Egypten. Till slut dominerades området av de krigiska hyksosfolken (”herdekungar” eller ”främmande kungar”), vars kungar bar namn som Jakob-Har och Jakbim.
  3. 1:8 en ny kung i Egypten, en som inte kände till JosefKanske Ahmose (ca 1550-1525 f Kr), som fördrev hyksosfolken (”våra fiender”, vers 10) och återupprättade egyptiernas ära med stora byggprojekt (vers 11-14). Alternativt hans son Amenhotep I (ca 1525-1505 f Kr).
  4. 1:11 tvångsarbete   En vanlig typ av skatt under antiken, att göra ett visst antal dagsverken på kungens projekt (se t ex 1 Kung 5:27, 9:15).
  5. 1:11 Pitom   Har identifierats med Pi-Atum (”guden Atums hus”) ca 10 mil nordost om Kairo.
  6. 1:11 Raamses   Har identifierats med Tell ed-Daba ca 3 mil norr om Pitom. Staden byggdes om till Egyptens huvudstad under farao Ramses II på 1200-talet f Kr.
  7. 1:11 farao   Egyptiska för ”stora huset”, härskaren i kungapalatset.
  8. 1:14 tegel   Lertegel var Egyptens vanligaste byggmaterial. Arbetet i lergroparna var smutsigt och illa ansett (se not till 5:16).

Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.

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.

11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:

14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.

20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

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.

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