Exodus 1
1
The People of Israel Suffer
1-5 #
Gn 46.8-27. When Jacob went to Egypt, his son Joseph was already there. So Jacob took his eleven other sons and their families. They were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. Altogether, Jacob had 70 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren#1.1-5 70 children … great-grandchildren: See Genesis 46.8-27. who went with him.
6After Joseph, his brothers, and everyone else in that generation had died, 7#Ac 7.17. the people of Israel became so numerous that the whole region of Goshen was full of them.
8 #
Ac 7.18. Many years later a new king came to power. He did not know what Joseph had done for Egypt, 9and he told the Egyptians:
There are too many of those Israelites in our country, and they are becoming more powerful than we are. 10#3 Macc 3.24; Ac 7.19. If we don't outsmart them, their families will keep growing larger. And if our country goes to war, they could easily fight on the side of our enemies and escape from Egypt.
11The Egyptians put slave bosses in charge of the people of Israel and tried to wear them down with hard work. Those bosses forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses,#1.11 Pithom and Rameses: This is the only mention of Pithom in the Bible; its exact location is unknown, though it was probably in the northern Delta of Egypt. Rameses is the famous Delta city that was the home of Rameses II; its exact location is also unknown. where the king#1.11 the king: The Hebrew text has “Pharaoh,” a Hebrew word sometimes used for the title of the king of Egypt. could store his supplies. 12But even though the Israelites were mistreated, their families grew larger, and they took over more land. Because of this, the Egyptians feared them worse than before 13and made them work so hard 14that their lives were miserable. The Egyptians were cruel to the people of Israel and forced them to make bricks and to mix mortar and to work in the fields.
15Finally, the king called in Shiphrah and Puah, the two women who helped the Hebrew#1.15 Hebrew: An earlier term for “Israelite.” mothers when they gave birth. 16He told them, “If a Hebrew woman gives birth to a girl, let the child live. If the baby is a boy, kill him!”
17But the two women were faithful to God and did not kill the boys, even though the king had told them to. 18The king called them in again and asked, “Why are you letting those baby boys live?”
19They answered, “Hebrew women have their babies much quicker than Egyptian women. By the time we arrive, their babies are already born.” 20-21God was good to the two women because they truly respected him, and he blessed them with children of their own.
The Hebrews kept increasing 22#Ac 7.19. until finally, the king gave a command to everyone in the nation, “As soon as a Hebrew boy is born, throw him into the Nile River! But you can let the girls live.”
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Exodus 1: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Exodus 1
1
1Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt (euery man and his housholde came thither with Iaakob) 2Reuben, Simeon, Leui, and Iudah, 3Issachar, Zebulun, and Beniamin, 4Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 5So al the soules, that came out of the loines of Iaakob, were seuentie soules: Ioseph was in Egypt already. 6Nowe Ioseph died and all his brethren, and that whole generation. 7And the children of Israel brought foorth fruite and encreased in aboundance, and were multiplied, and were exceeding mightie, so that the land was full of them. 8Then there rose vp a newe King in Egypt, who knewe not Ioseph. 9And he sayde vnto his people, Beholde, the people of the children of Israel are greater and mightier then we. 10Come, let vs worke wisely with them, least they multiplie, and it come to passe, that if there be warre, they ioyne them selues also vnto our enemies, and fight against vs, and get them out of the land. 11Therefore did they set taskemasters ouer them, to keepe the vnder with burdens: and they built the cities Pithom and Raamses for the treasures of Pharaoh. 12But the more they vexed them, the more they multiplied and grewe: therefore they were more grieued against the children of Israel. 13Wherefore the Egyptians by crueltie caused the children of Israel to serue. 14Thus they made them weary of their liues by sore labour in clay and in bricke, and in al worke in the fielde, with all maner of bondage, which they layde vpon them most cruelly. 15Moreouer the King of Egypt commanded ye midwiues of the Ebrewe women, (of which the ones name was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah) 16And sayde, When ye doe the office of a midwife to the women of the Ebrewes, and see them on their stooles, if it be a sonne, then yee shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then let her liue. 17Notwithstanding ye midwiues feared God, and did not as the King of Egypt commanded them, but preserued aliue the men children. 18Then the King of Egypt called for the midwiues, and sayde vnto them, Why haue yee done thus, and haue preserued aliue the men children? 19And the midwiues answered Pharaoh, Because the Ebrewe women are not as the women of Egypt: for they are liuely, and are deliuered yer the midwife come at them. 20God therefore prospered the midwiues, and the people multiplied and were very mightie. 21And because ye midwiues feared God, therefore he made them houses. 22Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Euery man childe that is borne, cast yee into the riuer, but reserue euery maide childe aliue.
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