Exodus 1
Modern English Version
Israel Oppressed
1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, which came into Egypt (each man and his household came with Jacob): 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 5 All the people who came from the seed of Jacob were seventy people, but Joseph was in Egypt already.
6 Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation. 7 Nevertheless, the sons of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty,[a] so that the land was filled with them.
8 Now there rose up a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, “Surely, the people of the sons of Israel are more numerous and powerful than we. 10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass that when any war breaks out, they also join our enemies, and fight against us, and escape from the land.”
11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their labor. They built for Pharaoh storage cities: Pithom and Rameses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew so that as a result they abhorred the sons of Israel. 13 The Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor, 14 and they made their lives bitter with hard service—in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.
15 The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah, 16 and he said, “When you perform the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the stools, if it is a son, then you must kill him, but if it is a daughter, then she may live.” 17 However, the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but kept the male children alive. 18 The king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and preserved the male children’s lives?”
19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives come to them.”
20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. 21 So it happened that because the midwives feared God, He gave them families.
22 Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, “You must cast every son that is born into the river, and you must preserve every daughter’s life.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 1:7 Or numerous; also in v. 20.
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
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
