1 N ow these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one with his household:

Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):

2 R euben, Simeon, Levi and Judah;

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

3 I ssachar, Zebulun and Benjamin;

Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

4 D an and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5 A ll the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt.

All the souls who came out of Jacob’s body were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already.

6 J oseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.

Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation.

7 B ut the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.

The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

8 N ow a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph.

9 H e said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we.

He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.

10 C ome, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.”

Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and escape out of the land.”

11 S o they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses.

Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.

12 B ut the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel.

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They were grieved because of the children of Israel.

13 T he Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously;

The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,

14 a nd they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them.

and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.

15 T hen the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah;

The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,

16 a nd he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”

and he said, “When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool; if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”

17 B ut the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.

But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.

18 S o the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?”

The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and have saved the boys alive?”

19 T he midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.”

The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”

20 S o God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty.

God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.

21 B ecause the midwives feared God, He established households for them.

Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

22 T hen Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “ Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”

Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”