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[1]These are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in, every man with his household:
[2]Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda,
[3]Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,
[4]Dan, and Nephtali, Gad and Aser.
[5]And all the souls that came out of Jacob's thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt.
[6]After he was dead, and all his brethren, and all that generation,
[7]The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes, and growing exceedingly strong they filled the land.
[8]In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not Joseph:
[9]And he said to his people: Behold the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we.
[10]Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply: and if any war shall rise against us, join with our enemies, and having overcome us, depart out of the land.
[11]Therefore he set over them masters of the works, to afflict them with burdens, and they built for Pharao cities of tabernacles, Phithom and Ramesses.
[12]But the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied, and increased:
[13]And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them:
[14]And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth.
[15]And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua,
[16]Commanding them: When you shall do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery is come: if it be a man child, kill it: if a woman, keep it alive.
[17]But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children.
[18]And the king called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men children ?
[19]They answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves are skillful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we come to them.
[20]Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong.
[21]And because the midwives feared God, he built them houses.
[22]Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive.
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