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.^[a] 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,^[b] they let the boys live.

¹⁸ When the king of Egypt called for the midwives, he asked them, “Why have you done this^[c] 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^[d] 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^[e] for them. ²² Meanwhile, Pharaoh continued commanding all of his people, “You’re to throw every Hebrew^[f] son who is born into the Nile River,^[g] but you’re to allow every Hebrew^[h] daughter to live.”