5
All the [b]persons who came from the loins of Jacob were 2seventy[c]in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt.
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3Josephdied, and all his brothers and all that generation.
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But the sons of Israel4were fruitful and [d]increasedgreatly, and multiplied, and becameexceedingly[e]mighty, so that the land was filled with them.
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Now a new5kingaroseoverEgypt, who did not knowJoseph.
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6He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are [f]more and mightierthan we.
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"Come, let us 7dealwisely with them, orelse they will multiply and [g]in the event** of war, they will alsojoin themselves to those whohate us, and fight against us and [h]depart from the land."
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So they appointed8taskmasters*over them to afflict them with [i]9hardlabor. And they built for Pharaoh10storagecities, Pithom and 11Raamses.
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But the more they afflicted them, 12the more they multiplied and the more they [j]spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel.
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The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel13to laborrigorously;
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and they made14their livesbitter with hardlabor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their laborswhich they rigorously[k]imposed on them.
15
Then the king of Egyptspoke to the Hebrewmidwives, one of whom[l]was namedShiphrah and the other[m]was namedPuah;
16
and he said, "When you are helping the Hebrewwomen to givebirth and see them upon the birthstool, 15if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live."
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But the midwives[n]16fearedGod, and 17did not do as the king of Egypt had [o]commanded them, but let the boyslive.
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So the king of Egyptcalled for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you donethisthing, and let the boyslive?"
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The midwivessaid to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrewwomen are not as the Egyptianwomen; for they are vigorous and givebirthbefore the midwife[p]canget to them."
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So 18God was good to the midwives, and 19the peoplemultiplied, and becamevery[q]mighty.
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Because the midwives[r]20fearedGod, He [s]21established[t]households for them.
22
Then Pharaohcommandedall his people, saying, "22Everyson who is born[u]you are to cast into 23the Nile, and everydaughter you are to keepalive."