1 Eis os nomes dos filhos de Israel que vieram para o Egito com Jacó, cada um com sua família:2 Rubem, Simeão, Levi, Judá,3 Issacar, Zabulon, Benjamim,4 Dã, Neftali, Gad e Aser.5 Todas as pessoas saídas de Jacó eram em número de setenta. José estava já no Egito.6 E, morto José, assim como todos os seus irmãos e toda aquela geração,7 os israelitas foram fecundos e multiplicaram-se; tornaram-se tão numerosos e tão fortes, que a terra ficou cheia deles.8 Entretanto, subiu ao trono do Egito um novo rei, que não tinha conhecido José.9 Ele disse ao seu povo: Vede: os israelitas tornaram-se numerosos e fortes demais para nós.10 Vamos! É preciso tomar precaução contra eles e impedir que se multipliquem, para não acontecer que, sobrevindo uma guerra, se unam com os nossos inimigos e combatam contra nós, e se retirem do país.11 Estabeleceu, pois, sobre eles, feitores para acabrunhá-los com trabalhos penosos: eles construíram para o faraó as cidades de Pitom e Ramsés, que deviam servir de entreposto.12 Quanto mais os acabrunhavam, porém, tanto mais eles se multiplicavam e se espalhavam, a ponto de os egípcios os aborrecerem.13 Impunham-lhes a mais dura servidão,14 e amarguravam-lhes a vida com duros trabalhos na argamassa e na fabricação de tijolos, bem como com toda sorte de trabalhos nos campos e todas as tarefas que se lhes impunham tiranicamente.15 O rei do Egito dirigiu-se, igualmente, às parteiras dos hebreus (uma se chamava Séfora e a outra, Fua),16 e disse-lhes: Quando assistirdes às mulheres dos hebreus, e as virdes sobre o leito, se for um filho, atá-lo-eis; mas se for uma filha, deixá-la-eis viver.17 Mas as parteiras temiam a Deus, e não executaram as ordens do rei do Egito, deixando viver os meninos.18 O rei mandou-as chamar então e disse-lhes: Por que agistes assim, e deixastes viver os meninos?19 Porque, responderam elas ao faraó, as mulheres dos hebreus não são como as dos egípcios: elas são vigorosas, e já dão à luz antes que chegue a parteira.20 Deus beneficiou as parteiras: o povo continuou a multiplicar-se e a espalhar-se.21 Porque elas haviam temido a Deus, ele fez prosperar suas famílias.22 Então o faraó deu esta ordem a todo o seu povo: Todo menino que nascer, atirá-lo-eis ao Nilo. Deixareis, porém, viver todas as meninas.

1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel, that came into Egypt with Jacob, every man and his household they came.2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; together with Joseph who was already in Egypt.6 And Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.8 Now there rose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.9 And he said unto his people: Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and mightier than we.10 Come, let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there happen to be a war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and depart out of the land.11 And they set over taskmasters, to afflict them with their burdensome labors; and they built treasure cities, for Pharaoh, Pithom and Raamses.12 But in the measure that they afflicted them, so they multiplied and so they spread out; and they felt abhorrence because of the children of Israel.13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to labor with rigor:14 And they made their lives bitter with hard labor, in mortar, and in bricks, and in all manner of labor in the field; in all their service, wherein they made them labor with rigor.15 And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah;16 And he said: When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, ye shall look upon the birth; if it be a son, then shall ye kill him; but if it be a daughter, then may she live.17 But the midwives feared God, and they did not as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but saved the men–children alive.18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and he said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men–children alive?19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively; ere the midwife cometh in unto them they are delivered.20 And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.