Exodus 1:9-11

New International Reader's Version

⁹ “Look,” he said to his people. “The Israelites are far too many for us. ¹⁰ Come. We must deal with them carefully. If we don’t, there will be even more of them. Then if war breaks out, they’ll join our enemies. They’ll fight against us and leave the country.”

¹¹ So the Egyptians put slave drivers over the people of Israel. The slave drivers treated them badly and made them work hard. The Israelites built the cities of Pithom and Rameses so Pharaoh could store things there.