Exodus 1:8–2:10

⁸And there riseth a new king over Egypt, who hath not known Joseph, ⁹and he saith unto his people, ‘Lo, the people of the sons of Israel is more numerous and mighty than we; ¹⁰give help! let us act wisely concerning it, lest it multiply, and it hath come to pass, when war happeneth, that it hath been joined, even it, unto those hating us, and hath fought against us, and hath gone out up of the land.’ ¹¹And they set over it princes of tribute, so as to afflict it with their burdens, and it buildeth store-cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Raamses; ¹²and as they afflict it, so it multiplieth, and so it breaketh forth, and they are vexed because of the sons of Israel; ¹³and the Egyptians cause the sons of Israel to serve with rigour, ¹⁴and make their lives bitter in hard service, in clay, and in brick, and in every kind of service in the field; all their service in which they have served is with rigour.

¹⁵And the king of Egypt speaketh to the midwives, the Hebrewesses, (of whom the name of the one is Shiphrah, and the name of the second Puah), ¹⁶and saith, ‘When ye cause the Hebrew women to bear, and have looked on the children; if it is a son—then ye have put him to death; and if it is a daughter—then she hath lived.’ ¹⁷And the midwives fear God, and have not done as the king of Egypt hath spoken unto them, and keep the lads alive; ¹⁸and the king of Egypt calleth for the midwives, and saith to them, ‘Wherefore have ye done this thing, and keep the lads alive?’ ¹⁹And the midwives say unto Pharaoh, ‘Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women, for they are lively; before the midwife cometh in unto them—they have borne!’ ²⁰And God doth good to the midwives, and the people multiply, and are very mighty; ²¹and it cometh to pass, because the midwives have feared God, that He maketh for them households; ²²and Pharaoh layeth a charge on all his people, saying, ‘Every son who is born—into the River ye do cast him, and every daughter ye do keep alive.’

Chapter 2

¹And there goeth a man of the house of Levi, and he taketh the daughter of Levi, ²and the woman conceiveth, and beareth a son, and she seeth him that he is fair, and she hideth him three months, ³and she hath not been able any more to hide him, and she taketh for him an ark of rushes, and daubeth it with bitumen and with pitch, and putteth the lad in it, and putteth it in the weeds by the edge of the River; ⁴and his sister stationeth herself afar off, to know what is done to him.

⁵And a daughter of Pharaoh cometh down to bathe at the River, and her damsels are walking by the side of the River, and she seeth the ark in the midst of the weeds, and sendeth her handmaid, and she taketh it, ⁶and openeth, and seeth him—the lad, and lo, a child weeping! and she hath pity on him, and saith, ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children.’ ⁷And his sister saith unto the daughter of Pharaoh, ‘Do I go? when I have called for thee a suckling woman of the Hebrews, then she doth suckle the lad for thee;’ ⁸and the daughter of Pharaoh saith to her, ‘Go;’ and the virgin goeth, and calleth the mother of the lad, ⁹and the daughter of Pharaoh saith to her, ‘Take this lad away, and suckle him for me, and I—I give thy hire;’ and the woman taketh the lad, and suckleth him. ¹⁰And the lad groweth, and she bringeth him in to the daughter of Pharaoh, and he is to her for a son, and she calleth his name Moses, and saith, ‘Because—from the water I have drawn him.’