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¹ These are the names of the children of Israel, whiche came into Egypt with Iacob, euery ma came with his housholde:² Ruben, Simeon, Leui, and Iuda:³ Isachar, Zabulon, and Beniamin,⁴ Dan and Nephthali, Gad & Aser.⁵ All the soules that came out of the line of Iacob, were seuentie:⁶ But Ioseph was in Egypt alredy, & Ioseph dyed, and all his brethren, and all that generation.⁷ And the children of Israel were fruitfull, encreased, multiplied, & waxed exceedyng myghtie, and the lande was full of them.

⁸ But there arose vp a newe kyng in Egypt, which knewe not Ioseph:⁹ And he sayde vnto his folke, Beholde, the people of the chyldren of Israel are greater and myghtier then we.¹⁰ Come on, let vs deale wyttyly with the, lest they multiplie, & lest it come to passe, that if there be any warre, they ioyne them selues vnto our enemies, & fight agaynst vs, & so get them vp out of ye land.¹¹ Therfore dyd they set taske maisters ouer them, to kepe the vnder with burthens: And they buylt vnto Pharao treasure cities, Pithom & Raamses.¹² But the more they vexed them, the more they multiplied and grewe: so that they abhorred at the syght of the chyldren of Israel.¹³ And the Egyptians helde the children of Israel in bondage without mercie,¹⁴ And they made their lyues bytter vnto them in that cruell bondage, in claye, and bricke, and all maner of worke in the fielde: for all their bondage wherein they serued them was ful of tirannie.

¹⁵ And the kyng of Egypt spake vnto the mydwyfes of the Hebrues women: (of which the one was named Siphrah and the other Puah) and sayde:¹⁶ When ye do the office of a mydwyfe to the women of the Hebrues, and see in the birth tyme that it is a boy, ye shall kyl it: but if it be a daughter, it shal liue.¹⁷ Notwithstanding, the mydwifes feared God, and dyd not as the kyng of Egypt commaunded them, but saued the men chyldren.¹⁸ And the kyng of Egypt called for the mydwyfes, and sayde vnto them: why haue ye dealt on this maner, and haue saued the men chyldren?¹⁹ And the mydwyfes aunswered Pharao: that ye Hebrues women are not as the women of Egypt: for they are more liuely women, and are deliuered yer the mydwyfes come at them.²⁰ And God dealt well therefore with the mydwyfes: and the people multiplied and waxed very myghtie.²¹ And it came to passe, that because the midwifes feared God, he made them houses.²² And Pharao charged all his people, saying: All the men chyldren that are borne, cast into the ryuer, and saue the mayde chyldren alyue.