the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Hebrew Names Version
Exodus 1
1 Now these are the names of the sons of Yisra'el, who came into Mitzrayim (every man and his household came with Ya`akov): 2 Re'uven, Shim`on, Levi, and Yehudah, 3 Yissakhar, Zevulun, and Binyamin, 4 Dan and Naftali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the souls who came out of the Ya`akov's body were seventy souls, and Yosef was in Mitzrayim already. 6 Yosef died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation. 7 The children of Yisra'el were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8 Now there arose a new king over Mitzrayim, who didn't know Yosef. 9 He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the children of Yisra'el are more and mightier than we. 10 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 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Par`oh: Pitom and Ra`meses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They were grieved because of the children of Yisra'el. 13 The Mitzrim ruthlessly made the children of Yisra'el serve, 14 and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
15 The king of Mitzrayim spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shifrah, and the name of the other Pu`ah, 16 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 But the midwives feared God, and didn't do what the king of Mitzrayim commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive. 18 The king of Mitzrayim called for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?" 19 The midwives said to Par`oh, "Because the Hebrew women aren't like the Mitzrian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth before the midwife comes to them." 20 God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty. 21 It happened, because the midwives feared God, that he gave them families. 22 Par`oh charged all his people, saying, "You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive."
