Israel Multiplies in Egypt

1 Now these are the anames of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one 1with his household:

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah;

3 Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin;

4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5 All the 1persons who came from the loins of Jacob were aseventy 2in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt.

6 aJoseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.

7 But the sons of Israel awere fruitful and 1increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly 2mighty, so that the land was filled with them.

8 Now a new aking arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

9 aHe said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are 1more and mightier than we.

10 “Come, let us adeal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and 1in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and 2depart from the land.”

11 So they appointed ataskmasters over them to afflict them with 1bhard labor. And they built for Pharaoh cstorage cities, Pithom and dRaamses.

12 But the more they afflicted them, athe more they multiplied and the more they 1spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel.

13 The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel ato labor rigorously;

14 and they made atheir lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously 1imposed on them.

15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom 1was named Shiphrah and the other 1was named Puah;

16 and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, aif it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”

17 But the midwives 1afeared God, and bdid not do as the king of Egypt had 2commanded them, but let the boys live.

18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?”

19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife 1can get to them.”

20 So aGod was good to the midwives, and bthe people multiplied, and became very 1mighty.

21 Because the midwives 1afeared God, He 2bestablished 3households for them.

22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “aEvery son who is born 1you are to cast into bthe Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”

Chapter 2

The Birth of Moses

1 Now a man from athe house of Levi went and 1married a daughter of Levi.

2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw 1that he was 2abeautiful, she hid him for three months.

3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a 1awicker 2basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the breeds by the bank of the Nile.

4 aHis sister stood at a distance to 1find out what would 2happen to him.

5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down ato bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the 1basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her.

6 When she opened it, she 1saw the child, and behold, the 2boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call 1a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?”

8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.

9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.

10 The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and ahe became her son. And she named him 1Moses, and said, “Because I 2drew him out of the water.”

11 Now it came about in those days, awhen Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their 1bhard labors; and che saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

12 So he 1looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he astruck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

13 He went out athe next day, and behold, two Hebrews were 1fighting with each other; and he said to the 2offender, “Why are you striking your companion?”

14 But he said, “aWho made you a 1prince or a judge over us? Are you 2intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.”

Moses Escapes to Midian

15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But aMoses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and 1settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down bby a well.

16 Now athe priest of Midian had seven daughters; and bthey came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but aMoses stood up and helped them and watered their flock.

18 When they came to aReuel their father, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?”

19 So they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew the water for us and watered the flock.”

20 He said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him 1to have something to eat.”

21 aMoses was willing to dwell with the man, and he gave his daughter bZipporah to Moses.

22 Then she gave birth to aa son, and he named him 1Gershom, for he said, “I have been ba 2sojourner in a foreign land.”

23 Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel asighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and btheir cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God.

24 So aGod heard their groaning; and God remembered bHis covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

25 aGod saw the sons of Israel, and God 1took notice of them.