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

These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob. Each one came with those of his house:

2 R euben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,

3 I ssachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,

4 D an and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

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

There were seventy people in Jacob’s family. But Joseph was already in Egypt.

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

Joseph and all his brothers died and all their families of that time.

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

But the sons of Israel had many children, and the people became many in number. There were so many that the land was filled with them.

8 N ow there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph.

Then a new king came into power over Egypt. He did not know Joseph.

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

He said to his people, “See, the people of Israel are too many and too powerful for us.

10 C ome, 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.”

Come, let us be wise in how we act towards them, or they will become more in number. If there is a war, they might join with those who hate us. They might fight against us and then leave the land.”

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

So they put men in power over them to make them work hard. And they built the store-cities Pithom and Raamses for Pharaoh the king.

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

But the more the Egyptians made them suffer, the more they became until they spread throughout the land. So the Egyptians were afraid of the people of Israel.

13 T he Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,

The Egyptians made the people of Israel work very hard.

14 a nd 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.

They made their lives bitter with hard work building with stones and with all kinds of work in the field. They made them work very hard.

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

Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew nurses. The name of one was Shiphrah. The name of the other was Puah.

16 a nd 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.”

He said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth, and see the baby before the mother does, if it is a son, kill him. But if it is a daughter, let her live.”

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

But the nurses feared God. They did not do what the king of Egypt told them. They let the boys live.

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

So the king of Egypt called the nurses and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the boys live?”

19 T he 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.”

The nurses answered Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They are strong. They give birth before the nurse comes to them.”

20 G od dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.

So God was good to the nurses. And the people became many and strong.

21 B ecause the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

Because the nurses feared God, He gave them families.

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

Then Pharaoh told all his people, “Throw every son who is born to the Hebrews into the Nile. But keep every daughter alive.”