Exodus 1

1These are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in every man with his household:● 2Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda,● 3Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,● 4Dan, and Nephthali, Gad and Aser.● 5And all the souls that came out of Jacob's thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt.● 6After he was dead, and all his brethren, and all that generation,● 7The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes, and growing exceedingly strong they filled the land.● 8In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not Joseph:● 9And he said to his people: Behold the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we.● 10Come let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply: and if any war shall rise against us, join with our enemies, and having overcome us, depart out of the land.● 11Therefore he set over them masters of the works, to afflict them with burdens: and they built for Pharao cities of tabernacles, Phithom, and Ramesses.● 12But the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied and increased.● 13And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them:● 14And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay and brick, and with all manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth.● 15And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua,● 16Commanding them: When you shall do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery is come: if it be a man child, kill it: if a woman, keep it alive.● 17But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children.● 18And the king called for them and said: What is it that you meant to do, that you would save the men children?● 19They answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves are skilful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we come to them.● 20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong.● 21And because the midwives feared God, he built them houses.● 22Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive.●