The New Pharaoh and Oppression
1   Now these are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.
2   Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3   Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4   Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5   And all persons that were direct offspring of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.
6   And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.
7   And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8   Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.
9   And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
10   Come, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there come upon us any war, they join also unto our  enemies,  and  fight  against  us,  and  so escape out of the land.
11   Therefore they did set over them taskmasters  to  afflict  them  with  their  burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
12   But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
13   And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor:
14   And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, in which they made them serve, was with rigor.
15   And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
16   And he said, When you serve as a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then you shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
17   But the midwives feared God, and did not as  the  king  of  Egypt  commanded  them,  but saved the male children alive.
18   And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have you done  this  thing,  and  have  saved  the  male children alive?
19   And  the  midwives  said  unto  Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous, and are delivered  before  the  midwives  come  in  unto them.
20   Therefore   God   dealt   well   with   the midwives: and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.
21   And  it  came  to  pass,  because  the midwives   feared   God,   that   he   gave   them families.
22   And  Pharaoh  charged  all  his  people, saying, Every son that is born you shall cast into the  river,  and  every  daughter  you  shall  save alive.