Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
1These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; each came with his family: | 1These are the names of the sons of Israel who entered Egypt--each man with his household entered with Jacob: |
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; | 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, |
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; | 3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, |
4Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. | 4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. |
5The total number of Jacob's descendants was seventy; Joseph was already in Egypt. | 5All the people who were directly descended from Jacob numbered seventy. But Joseph was already in Egypt, |
6Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation eventually died. | 6and in time Joseph and his brothers and all that generation died. |
7But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them. | 7The Israelites, however, were fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and became extremely strong, so that the land was filled with them. |
8A new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. | 8Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power over Egypt. |
9He said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are. | 9He said to his people, "Look at the Israelite people, more numerous and stronger than we are! |
10Come, let's deal shrewdly with them; otherwise they will multiply further, and when war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country." | 10Come, let's deal wisely with them. Otherwise they will continue to multiply, and if a war breaks out, they will ally themselves with our enemies and fight against us and leave the country." |
11So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh. | 11So they put foremen over the Israelites to oppress them with hard labor. As a result they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. |
12But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. | 12But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread. As a result the Egyptians loathed the Israelites, |
13They worked the Israelites ruthlessly | 13and they made the Israelites serve rigorously. |
14and made their lives bitter with difficult labor in brick and mortar and in all kinds of fieldwork. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them. | 14They made their lives bitter by hard service with mortar and bricks and by all kinds of service in the fields. Every kind of service the Israelites were required to give was rigorous. |
15The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives--the first whose name was Shiphrah and the second whose name was Puah-- | 15The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, |
16"When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him, but if it's a daughter, she may live." | 16"When you assist the Hebrew women in childbirth, observe at the delivery: If it is a son, kill him, but if it is a daughter, she may live." |
17The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. | 17But the midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. |
18So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this and let the boys live?" | 18Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this and let the boys live?" |
19The midwives said to Pharaoh, "The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them." | 19The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women--for the Hebrew women are vigorous; they give birth before the midwife gets to them!" |
20So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very numerous. | 20So God treated the midwives well, and the people multiplied and became very strong. |
21Since the midwives feared God, he gave them families. | 21And because the midwives feared God, he made households for them. |
22Pharaoh then commanded all his people: "You must throw every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile, but let every daughter live." | 22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "All sons that are born you must throw into the river, but all daughters you may let live." |
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