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Chapter 1

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¹ These are the names of the sons of Israel who, accompanied by their households, migrated with Jacob into Egypt:

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² Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah;

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Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin;

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Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.

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³ The total number of the direct descendants of Jacob was seventy. Joseph was already in Egypt.

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Now Joseph and all his brothers and that whole generation died.

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But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific. They became so numerous and strong that the land was filled with them.

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Then a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph ⁴ , came to power in Egypt.

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He said to his subjects, "Look how numerous and powerful the Israelite people are growing, more so than we ourselves!

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Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave our country."

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⁵ Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. Thus they had to build for Pharaoh the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses.

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Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. The Egyptians, then, dreaded the Israelites

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and reduced them to cruel slavery,

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⁶ making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick and all kinds of field work - the whole cruel fate of slaves.

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The king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shiphrah and the other Puah,

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⁷ When you act as midwives for the Hebrew women and see them giving birth, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she may live."

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The midwives, however, feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt had ordered them, but let the boys live.

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So the king summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you acted thus, allowing the boys to live?"

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The midwives answered Pharaoh, "The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They are robust and give birth before the midwife arrives."

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Therefore God dealt well with the midwives. The people, too, increased and grew strong.

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And because the midwives feared God, he built up families for them.

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⁸ Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects, "Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you may let all the girls live."