1THESE are the names of the children 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 persons that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy persons; for Joseph was in Egypt already. 6And Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation. 7And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, and multiplied and grew exceedingly strong; and the land was filled with them.

8Now there rose up a new king over Egypt who knew not Joseph. 9And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and stronger than we; 10Come, let us deal wisely with them, before they multiply, lest when we chance to be at war, they will be added also to our enemies, and fight against us, and so drive us out of the land. 11Therefore they appointed over them cruel taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh cities with storehouses, Pithom and Raamses. 12But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and became strong. And the Egyptians were grieved because of the children of Israel. 13So the Egyptians oppressed the children of Israel severely; 14And they made their lives bitter with hard labor, in mortar and in bricks and in all manner of work in the field; all their service wherein they made them serve was with rigor.

15And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Puah and the name of the other Shoprah; 16And he said to them, When you do perform your duties as midwives to the Hebrew women, look out when they kneel to deliver; if it is a male, then you must kill him; but if it is a female, then let her live. 17But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the boys live. 18So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live? 19And the midwives said to Pharaoh, The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they themselves are midwives, and are delivered before a midwife comes in to them. 20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, because they spared the males; and the people multiplied, and grew exceedingly strong. 21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, he blessed them with families. 22And Pharaoh charged all the people, saying, Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.