1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob): 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the souls who came out of Jacob’s body were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already. 6 Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation. 7 The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. 10 Come, let’s deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and escape out of the land." 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They started to dread the children of Israel. 13 The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve, 14 and they made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
15 The king of Egypt spoke 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 you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live." 17 But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive. 18 The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing and saved the boys alive?"
19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them."
20 God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty. 21 Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive."
1 以色列的众子， 各人带着家眷和雅各一同来到埃及。他们的名字是：
2 流本、西缅、利未、犹大、
3 以萨迦、西布伦、便雅悯、
4 但、拿弗他利、迦得、亚设。
5 他们全是雅各所生的， 共有七十人； 那时约瑟已经在埃及了。
6 后来， 约瑟和他所有的兄弟， 以及那一代的人都死了。
7 以色列人生养繁殖众多， 人数增加， 极其强盛， 遍满了那地。
8 那时， 有一位不认识约瑟的新王兴起来， 统治埃及。
9 他对自己的人民说： "看哪， 以色列民比我们众多强盛。
10 来吧， 我们要用巧计对付他们， 恐怕他们增多起来， 一旦发生战争， 他们就与我们的仇敌联合， 攻击我们， 并且离开这地。"
11 于是， 他们指派督工管辖他们， 加重他们的重担苦害他们， 他们为法老建造两座贮货城， 就是比东和兰塞。
12 但是， 埃及人越苦害他们， 他们就越发增多， 越发繁殖。埃及人就惧怕以色列人。
13 于是， 埃及人严严地使以色列人作苦工。
14 埃及人使他们因作苦工而觉得命苦， 他们要和泥、做砖、作田间各样的工； 这一切苦工， 埃及人都严严地驱使以色列人去作。
15 埃及王吩咐两个希伯来接生妇， 一个名叫施弗拉， 一个名叫普阿，
16 说： "你们给希伯来妇人接生的时候， 要看着她们临盆； 若是男孩， 你们要杀死他； 若是女孩， 她就可以活着。"
17 但是， 接生妇却敬畏 神， 不照着埃及王吩咐她们的去作， 竟让男孩活着。
18 于是， 埃及王把接生妇叫了来， 对她们说： "你们为什么作这事， 让男孩活着呢？"
19 接生妇回答法老： "希伯来妇人与埃及妇人不同； 她们很有活力， 接生妇还没有来到， 她们已经生产了。"
20 神恩待接生妇； 以色列民增多起来， 而且非常强盛。
21 接生妇因为敬畏 神， 神就为她们建立家室。
22 法老吩咐他的众民说： "凡是希伯来人所生的男孩， 你们都要把他投在河里； 凡是女孩， 就让她活着。"