| International Standard Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1These are the names of the Israelis who entered Egypt with Jacob, each one having come with his family: | 1These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; each came with his family: |
| 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, | 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; |
| 3Issacar, Zebulun, Benjamin, | 3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; |
| 4Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. | 4Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. |
| 5All those who descended from Jacob totaled 75 persons. Now Joseph was already in Egypt. | 5The total number of Jacob's descendants was seventy; Joseph was already in Egypt. |
| 6Then Joseph, all his brothers, and that entire generation died. | 6Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation eventually died. |
| 7But the Israelis were fruitful and increased abundantly. They multiplied in numbers and became very, very strong. As a result, the land was filled with them. | 7But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them. |
| 8Eventually a new king who was unacquainted with Joseph came to power in Egypt. | 8A new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. |
| 9He told his people, "Look, the Israeli people are more numerous and more powerful than we are. | 9He said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are. |
| 10Come on, let's be careful how we treat them, so that when they grow numerous, if a war breaks out they won't join our enemies, fight against us, and leave our land." | 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." |
| 11So the Egyptians placed supervisors over them, oppressing them with heavy burdens. The Israelis built the supply cities of Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. | 11So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh. |
| 12But the more the Egyptians afflicted the Israelis, the more they multiplied and flourished, so that the Egyptians became terrified of the Israelis. | 12But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. |
| 13The Egyptians ruthlessly forced the Israelis to serve them, | 13They worked the Israelites ruthlessly |
| 14making their lives bitter through hard labor with mortar, bricks, and all kinds of outdoor labor. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them. | 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. |
| 15Later, the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah. | 15The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives--the first whose name was Shiphrah and the second whose name was Puah-- |
| 16"When you help the Hebrew women give birth," he said, "watch them as they deliver. If it's a son, kill him; but if it's a daughter, let her live." | 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." |
| 17But the midwives feared God and didn't do what the king of Egypt told them. Instead, they let the boys live. | 17The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. |
| 18When the king of Egypt called for the midwives, he asked them, "Why have you done this and allowed the boys to live?" | 18So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this and let the boys live?" |
| 19"Hebrew women aren't like Egyptian women," the midwives replied to Pharaoh. "They're so healthy that they give birth before the midwives arrive to help them." | 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." |
| 20God was pleased with the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong. | 20So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very numerous. |
| 21Because the midwives feared God, he provided families for them. | 21Since the midwives feared God, he gave them families. |
| 22Meanwhile, Pharaoh continued commanding all of his people, "You're to throw every Hebrew son who is born into the Nile River, but you're to allow every Hebrew daughter to live." | 22Pharaoh then commanded all his people: "You must throw every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile, but let every daughter live." |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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