Chapter 1
Exodus
Verse 1These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Verse 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Verse 3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Verse 4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. Verse 5All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. Verse 6Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. Verse 7But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
Verse 8Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. Verse 9And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Verse 10Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Verse 11Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. Verse 12But 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. Verse 13So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves Verse 14and 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 ruthlessly made them work as slaves.
Verse 15Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, Verse 16“When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” Verse 17But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. Verse 18So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” Verse 19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” Verse 20So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. Verse 21And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Verse 22Then 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.”
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.