¹⁷ “But as the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise that God had made to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased and multiplied^(A)

⁵ you shall make this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.^(A)

³⁷ The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides little ones.^(A)

⁷ But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.^(A)

The Israelites Are Oppressed

⁸ Now a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph.^{(B) 9} He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we.^(C)

³ Then he said, “I am God,^[a] the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.^(A)

¹⁶ I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.^(A)

¹² Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”^(A)