Exodus 1

Jacob’s Family Grows Strong

1 When Jacob 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,3 Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

5 There was a total of seventy people who were descendants of Jacob. Jacob’s son Joseph was already in Egypt.
6 Some time later, Joseph and his brothers died, along with all the people who had lived at that same time.

7 But the people of Israel had many children, and their number grew greatly. They became very strong, and the country of Egypt was filled with them.

Trouble for the People of Israel

8 Then a new king began to rule Egypt, who did not know who Joseph was.9 This king said to his people, “Look! The people of Israel are too many and too strong for us to handle!

10 If we don’t make plans against them, the number of their people will grow even more. Then if there is a war, they might join our enemies and fight us and escape from the country!”
11 So the Egyptians made life hard for the Israelites. They put slave masters over them, who forced the Israelites to build the cities Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king.12 But the harder the Egyptians forced the Israelites to work, the more the Israelites grew in number and spread out. So the Egyptians became very afraid of them13 and demanded even more of them.

14 They made their lives bitter. They forced the Israelites to work hard to make bricks and mortar and to do all kinds of work in the fields. The Egyptians were not merciful to them in all their painful work.
15 Two Hebrew nurses, named Shiphrah and Puah, helped the Israelite women give birth to their babies. The king of Egypt said to the nurses,16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women give birth to their babies, watch! If the baby is a girl, let her live, but if it is a boy, kill him!”17 But the nurses feared God, so they did not do as the king told them; they let all the boy babies live.

18 Then the king of Egypt sent for the nurses and said, “Why did you do this? Why did you let the boys live?”
19 The nurses said to him, “The Hebrew women are much stronger than the Egyptian women. They give birth to their babies before we can get there.”20 God was good to the nurses. And the Hebrew people continued to grow in number, so they became even stronger.

21 Because the nurses feared God, he gave them families of their own.
22 So the king commanded all his people, “Every time a boy is born to the Hebrews, you must throw him into the Nile River, but let all the girl babies live.”

Exodus 1

Blessing during Bondage in Egypt

1 s Theset are the namess of the sons of Israelt who entered Egypt – each man with his householdt entered with Jacob:2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.5 All the peoplet who were directly descendedt from Jacob numbered seventy.s But Joseph was already in Egypt,t6 and in timet Josephts and his brothers and all that generation died.

7 The Israelites,t however,t were fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and became extremely strong,ts so that the land was filled with them.
8 Then a new king,s who did not know aboutt Joseph, came to powert over Egypt.9 He saidt to his people, “Look att the Israelite people, more numerous and stronger than we are!

10 Come, let’s deal wiselyts with them. Otherwiset they will continue to multiply,t and ift a war breaks out, they will ally themselves witht our enemies and fight against us and leavet the country.”
11 So they put forement over the Israelitest to oppresss them with hard labor. As a resultt they built Pithom and Ramesess as store cities for Pharaoh.12 But the more the Egyptianst oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread.ts As a result the Egyptians loathedt the Israelites,13 and theyt made the Israelites serve rigorously.t

14 They made their lives bitters byt hard service with mortar and bricks and by all kinds of servicet in the fields. Every kind of service the Israelites were required to give was rigorous.t
15 The king of Egypt saidt to the Hebrew midwives,s one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,t16 t “When you assistt the Hebrew women in childbirth, observe at the delivery:t If it is a son, kill him,s but if it is a daughter, she may live.”t

17 Butt the midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.t
18 Then the king of Egypt summonedt the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?”t19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrews women are not like the Egyptian women – for the Hebrew woment are vigorous; they give birth before the midwife gets to them!”ts20 So God treated the midwives well,t and the people multiplied and became very strong.

21 And because the midwives feared God, he madet householdst for them.

22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “All sonst that are born you must throwt into the river, but all daughters you may let live.”ts