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¹ These ben the names of the sones of Israel, that entriden into Egipt with Jacob; alle entriden with her housis;² Ruben, Symeon,³ Leuy, Judas, Isachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,⁴ Dan, and Neptalim, Gad, and Aser.⁵ Therfor alle the soules of hem that yeden out of `the hipe of Jacob weren seuenti and fyue.⁶ Forsothe Joseph was in Egipt; and whanne he was deed, and alle hise brithren, and al his kynrede,⁷ the sones of Israel encreessiden, and weren multiplied as buriounnyng, and thei weren maad strong greetli, and filliden the lond.

⁸ A newe kyng, that knewe not Joseph, roos in the meene tyme on Egipt, and seide to his puple, Lo!⁹ the puple of the sones of Israel is myche, and strongere than we;¹⁰ come ye, wiseli oppresse we it, lest perauenture it be multiplied; and lest, if batel risith ayens vs, it be addid to oure enemyes, and go out of the lond, whanne we ben ouercomun.¹¹ And so he made maistris of werkis souereyns to hem, that thei schulden turmente hem with chargis. And thei maden citees of tabernaclis to Farao, Fiton, and Ramesses.¹² And bi hou myche thei oppressiden hem, bi so myche thei weren multiplied, and encreessiden more.¹³ And Egipcians hatiden the sones of Israel, and turmentiden, and scorneden hem;¹⁴ and brouyten her lijf to bitternesse bi hard werkis of cley and to tijl stoon, and bi al seruage, bi which thei weren oppressid in the werkis of erthe.

¹⁵ Forsothe the kyng of Egipt seide to the mydwyues of Ebrews, of whiche oon was clepid Sefora, the tother Fua;¹⁶ and he commaundide to hem, Whanne ye schulen do the office of medewyues to Ebrew wymmen, and the tyme of childberyng schal come, if it is a knaue child, sle ye him; if it is a womman, kepe ye.¹⁷ Forsothe the medewyues dredden God, and diden not bi the comaundement of the kyng of Egipt, but kepten knaue children.¹⁸ To whiche clepid to hym the kyng seide, What is this thing which ye wolden do, that ye wolden kepe the children?¹⁹ Whiche answeriden, Ebrew wymmen ben not as the wymmen of Egipt, for thei han kunnyng of the craft of medewijf, and childen bifore that we comen to hem.²⁰ Therfor God dide wel to medewyues; and the puple encreesside, and was coumfortid greetli.²¹ And for the mydewyues dredden God, he bildide `housis to hem.<sup>22</sup> Therfor Farao comaundide al his puple, and seide, What euer thing of male kynde is borun to Ebrewis, `caste ye into the flood; what euer thing of wymmen kynde, kepe ye.