Exodus 1

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 These are the names of the Israelites who went with Jacob to Egypt, each of them went with his family:	1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who, accompanied by their households, migrated with Jacob into Egypt:
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah,	2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah;
3 Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin,	3 Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin;
4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.	4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.
5 In all, the descendants of Jacob numbered seventy persons. Joseph was in Egypt already.	5 The total number of the direct descendants of Jacob was seventy. Joseph was already in Egypt.
6 Then Joseph died, and his brothers, and all that generation.	6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and that whole generation died.
7 But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific; they became so numerous and powerful that eventually thewhole land was ful of them.	7 But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific. They became so numerous and strong that the land was filled with them.
8 Then there came to power in Egypt a new king who had never heard of Joseph.	8 Then a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph , came to power in Egypt.
9 'Look,' he said to his people, 'the Israelites are now more numerous and stronger than we are.	9 He said to his subjects, "Look how numerous and powerful the Israelite people are growing, more so than we ourselves!
10 We must take precautions to stop them from increasing any further, or if war should break out, theymight join the ranks of our enemies. They might take arms against us and then escape from the country.'	10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave our country."
11 Accordingly they put taskmasters over the Israelites to wear them down by forced labour. In this waythey built the store-cities of Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh.	11 Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. Thus they had to build for Pharaoh the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses.
12 But the harder their lives were made, the more they increased and spread, until people came to fearthe Israelites.	12 Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. The Egyptians, then, dreaded the Israelites
13 So the Egyptians gave them no mercy in the demands they made,	13 and reduced them to cruel slavery,
14 making their lives miserable with hard labour: with digging clay, making bricks, doing various kinds offield -- work -- al sorts of labour that they imposed on them without mercy.	14 making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick and all kinds of field work--the whole cruel fate of slaves.
15 The king of Egypt then spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was cal ed Shiphrah, and theother Puah.	15 The king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shiphrah and the other Puah,
16 'When you attend Hebrew women in childbirth,' he said, 'look at the two stones. If it is a boy, kil him; ifa girl, let her live.'	16 When you act as midwives for the Hebrew women and see them giving birth, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she may live."
17 But the midwives were God-fearing women and did not obey the orders of the king of Egypt, butal owed the boys to live.	17 The midwives, however, feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt had ordered them, but let the boys live.
18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, 'What do you mean by al owing theboys to live?'	18 So the king summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you acted thus, allowing the boys to live?"
19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, 'Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women, they are hardy and givebirth before the midwife can get to them.'	19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, "The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They are robust and give birth before the midwife arrives."
20 For this, God was good to the midwives, and the people went on increasing and growing morepowerful;	20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives. The people, too, increased and grew strong.
21 and since the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.	21 And because the midwives feared God, he built up families for them.
22 Pharaoh then gave all his people this command: 'Throw every new-born boy into the river, but let allthe girls live.'	22 Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects, "Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you may let all the girls live."