¹⁷ “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased.^(A)

⁵ Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering^(A) Aramean,^(B) and he went down into Egypt with a few people^(C) and lived there and became a great nation,^(D) powerful and numerous.

³⁷ The Israelites journeyed from Rameses^(A) to Sukkoth.^(B) There were about six hundred thousand men^(C) on foot, besides women and children.

⁷ but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers^(A) and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

⁸ Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.^{(B) 9} “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous^(C) for us.^(D)

³ “I am God, the God of your father,”^(A) he said. “Do not be afraid^(B) to go down to Egypt,^(C) for I will make you into a great nation^(D) there.^(E)

¹⁶ I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.^(A)

¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,^(A) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.^(B)