THE SECOND BOOK OF
MOSES,
called
E X O D U S
Exodus 1 ©
The names and number of the children of Israel, who were come into Egypt, and their multiplication, vs. 1, etc. How Pharaoh went about to suppress them, but in vain, 14. Pharaoh commands the midwives to kill all the male children as soon as they were born, 16. But they do save them alive, 17. For which God blesses them, 21. Pharaoh commands all the male infants to be drowned, 22.
NOW these are the names of the children of Israel, whicha came into Egypt; 1every man and 2his household came with Jacob.
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
Issachar, Zebulun, and 3Benjamin,
Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
Andb4all the souls that came 5out of the loins of Jacob were 6seventy souls: for 7Joseph was in Egypt already.
Andc Joseph died, and all his brethren, 8and all that generation.
¶And the children of Israel were fruitful, andd increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed 9exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
Nowe there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
Comef on, let us deal 10wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our 11enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
Therefore they did set over them 12taskmasters to afflict them 13with their burdens. And 14they built for Pharaoh 15treasure cities, Pithom and 16Raamses.
But 17theg more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve 18with rigour:
And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, 19wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
¶And the king of Egypt spake 20to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one 21was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, 22then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?
And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are 23lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
Therefore God dealt 24well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he 25made them houses.
Andh Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every 26son 27that is born ye shall cast into the river, and 28every daughter ye shall save alive.