1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt; each man and his house came with Jacob:2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.5 All those who came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls (for Joseph was in Egypt already).6 And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation.7 And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly numerous; and the land was filled with them.8 And there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.9 And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and vast than we.10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and thus go up out of the land.11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel work with harshness.14 And they made their lives bitter with hard labor; in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of labor in the field. All their labor in which they made them work was with harshness.15 And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah,16 and he said: When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, 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 did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.18 And the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?19 And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives come to them.20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly numerous.21 And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided houses for them.22 And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.

1 These ben the names of the sones of Israel, that entriden into Egipt with Jacob; alle entriden with her housis;2 Ruben, Symeon,3 Leuy, Judas, Isachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,4 Dan, and Neptalim, Gad, and Aser.5 Therfor alle the soules of hem that yeden out of `the hipe of Jacob weren seuenti and fyue.6 Forsothe Joseph was in Egipt; and whanne he was deed, and alle hise brithren, and al his kynrede,7 the sones of Israel encreessiden, and weren multiplied as buriounnyng, and thei weren maad strong greetli, and filliden the lond.8 A newe kyng, that knewe not Joseph, roos in the meene tyme on Egipt, and seide to his puple, Lo!9 the puple of the sones of Israel is myche, and strongere than we;10 come ye, wiseli oppresse we it, lest perauenture it be multiplied; and lest, if batel risith ayens vs, it be addid to oure enemyes, and go out of the lond, whanne we ben ouercomun.11 And so he made maistris of werkis souereyns to hem, that thei schulden turmente hem with chargis. And thei maden citees of tabernaclis to Farao, Fiton, and Ramesses.12 And bi hou myche thei oppressiden hem, bi so myche thei weren multiplied, and encreessiden more.13 And Egipcians hatiden the sones of Israel, and turmentiden, and scorneden hem;14 and brouyten her lijf to bitternesse bi hard werkis of cley and to tijl stoon, and bi al seruage, bi which thei weren oppressid in the werkis of erthe.15 Forsothe the kyng of Egipt seide to the mydwyues of Ebrews, of whiche oon was clepid Sefora, the tother Fua;16 and he commaundide to hem, Whanne ye schulen do the office of medewyues to Ebrew wymmen, and the tyme of childberyng schal come, if it is a knaue child, sle ye him; if it is a womman, kepe ye.17 Forsothe the medewyues dredden God, and diden not bi the comaundement of the kyng of Egipt, but kepten knaue children.18 To whiche clepid to hym the kyng seide, What is this thing which ye wolden do, that ye wolden kepe the children?19 Whiche answeriden, Ebrew wymmen ben not as the wymmen of Egipt, for thei han kunnyng of the craft of medewijf, and childen bifore that we comen to hem.20 Therfor God dide wel to medewyues; and the puple encreesside, and was coumfortid greetli.21 And for the mydewyues dredden God, he bildide `housis to hem.22 Therfor Farao comaundide al his puple, and seide, What euer thing of male kynde is borun to Ebrewis, `caste ye into the flood; what euer thing of wymmen kynde, kepe ye.