1And these were the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt. Every man and his household came with Jacob: 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; 3Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; 4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls, for Joseph was already in Egypt. 6And Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased very much and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty. And the land was filled with them.

8And there arose a new king over Egypt who did not know Joseph. 9And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are many and mightier than we. 10Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it will be when there comes a war, they join also to our enemies and fight against us, and get them out of the land." 11And they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built treasure cities for Pharaoh, Pithon and Raamses. 12But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. 13And the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with harshness. 14And they made their lives bitter with hard work in mortar and in bricks, and in all kinds of work in the field. All their work in which they made them do was with harshness.

15And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah. 16And he said, "When you midwife the Hebrew women, and look on the birth stools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him. But if it is a daughter, then she shall live." 17But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved alive the male children. 18And the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and have saved the male children alive?" 19And the midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered before the midwives come to them." 20And God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and became very mighty. 21And it came to pass because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses. 22And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, "Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive."