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¹ These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:² Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,³ Is'sachar, Zeb'ulun, and Benjamin,⁴ Dan and Naph'tali, Gad and Asher.⁵ All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt.⁶ Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.⁷ But the descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong; so that the land was filled with them.

⁸ Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.⁹ And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.¹⁰ Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war befall us, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land."¹¹ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens; and they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Ra-am'ses.¹² But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.¹³ So they made the people of Israel serve with rigor,¹⁴ and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field; in all their work they made them serve with rigor.

¹⁵ Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiph'rah and the other Pu'ah,¹⁶ "When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, she shall live."¹⁷ But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.¹⁸ So the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the male children live?"¹⁹ The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and are delivered before the midwife comes to them."²⁰ So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and grew very strong.²¹ And because the midwives feared God he gave them families.²² Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live."