1 A nd these the names of the sons of Israel who are coming into Egypt with Jacob; a man and his household have they come;

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 nd all the persons coming out of the thigh of Jacob are seventy persons; as to Joseph, he was in Egypt.

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

6 A nd Joseph dieth, and all his brethren, and all that generation;

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

7 a nd the sons of Israel have been fruitful, and they teem, and multiply, and are very very mighty, and the land is 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 A nd there riseth a new king over Egypt, who hath not known Joseph,

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

9 a nd he saith unto his people, `Lo, the people of the sons of Israel more numerous and mighty than we;

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

10 g ive help! let us act wisely concerning it, lest it multiply, and it hath come to pass, when war happeneth, that it hath been joined, even it, unto those hating us, and hath fought against us, and hath gone out up 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 A nd they set over it princes of tribute, so as to afflict it with their burdens, and it buildeth store-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 a nd as they afflict it, so it multiplieth, and so it breaketh forth, and they are vexed because of the sons 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 a nd the Egyptians cause the sons of Israel to serve with rigour,

The Egyptians made the people of Israel work very hard.

14 a nd make their lives bitter in hard service, in clay, and in brick, and in every of service in the field; all their service in which they have served with rigour.

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 A nd the king of Egypt speaketh to the midwives, the Hebrewesses, (of whom the name of the one Shiphrah, and the name of the second 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 saith, `When ye cause the Hebrew women to bear, and have looked on the children; if it a son -- then ye have put him to death; and if it a daughter -- then she hath lived.'

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 A nd the midwives fear God, and have not done as the king of Egypt hath spoken unto them, and keep the lads alive;

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

18 a nd the king of Egypt calleth for the midwives, and saith to them, `Wherefore have ye done this thing, and keep the lads alive?'

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

19 A nd the midwives say unto Pharaoh, `Because the Hebrew women not as the Egyptian women, for they lively; before the midwife cometh in unto them -- they have borne!'

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 A nd God doth good to the midwives, and the people multiply, and are very mighty;

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

21 a nd it cometh to pass, because the midwives have feared God, that He maketh for them households;

Because the nurses feared God, He gave them families.

22 a nd Pharaoh layeth a charge on all his people, saying, `Every son who is born -- into the River ye do cast him, and every daughter ye do keep alive.'

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