1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:
1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah;
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3 Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin;
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.
4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5 The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt.
5 All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt.
6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,
6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.
7 but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.
7 But the descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong; so that the land was filled with them.
8 Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt.
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
9 "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us.
9 And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.
10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country."
10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war befall us, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land."
11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.
11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens; and they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Ra-amses.
12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites
12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.
13 and worked them ruthlessly.
13 So they made the people of Israel serve with rigor,
14 They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.
14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field; in all their work they made them serve with rigor.
15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,
15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,
16 "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live."
16 "When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, she shall live."
17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.
18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?"
18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the male children live?"
19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive."
19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and are delivered before the midwife comes to them."
20 So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous.
20 So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and grew very strong.
21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
21 And because the midwives feared God he gave them families.
22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."
22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live."