Chapter 1

  These are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in, every man with his household:  

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  Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda,  

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  Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,  

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  Dan, and Nephtali, Gad and Aser.  

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  And all the souls that came out of Jacob's thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt.  

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  After he was dead, and all his brethren, and all that generation,  

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  The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes, and growing exceedingly strong they filled the land.  

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  In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not Joseph:  

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  And he said to his people: Behold the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we.  

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  Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply: and if any war shall rise against us, join with our enemies, and having overcome us, depart out of the land.  

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  Therefore he set over them masters of the works, to afflict them with burdens, and they built for Pharao cities of tabernacles, Phithom and Ramesses.  

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  But the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied, and increased:  

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  And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them:  

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  And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth.  

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  And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua,  

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  Commanding them: When you shall do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery is come: if it be a man child, kill it: if a woman, keep it alive.  

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  But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children.  

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  And the king called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men children ?  

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  They answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves are skillful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we come to them.  

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  Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong.  

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  And because the midwives feared God, he built them houses.  

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  Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive.  

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