Exodus 1
1599 Geneva Bible
The Second Book of Moses, called Exodus
1 2 The children of Jacob that came into Egypt. 8 The new Pharaoh oppresseth them. 12 The providence of God toward them. 15 The King’s commandment to the midwives. 22 The sons of the Hebrews are commanded to be cast into the river.
1 Now (A)[a]these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt (every man and his household came thither with Jacob)
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 So all the [b]souls, that came out of the loins of Jacob, were (B)seventy souls: Joseph was in Egypt already.
6 Now Joseph died and all his brethren, and that whole generation.
7 ¶ And the (C)children of Israel [c]brought forth fruit and increased in abundance, and were multiplied, and were exceeding mighty, so that the [d]land was full of them.
8 Then there rose up a new King in Egypt, who [e]knew not Joseph.
9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are greater, and mightier than we.
10 Come, let us work wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that if there be war, they join themselves also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and [f][g]get them out of the land.
11 Therefore did they set taskmasters over them, to keep them under with burdens: and they built the cities Pithom and Raamses for the [h]treasures of Pharaoh.
12 But the more they vexed them, the more they multiplied and grew: therefore [i]they were more grieved against the children of Israel.
13 Wherefore the Egyptians by cruelty caused the children of Israel to serve.
14 Thus they made them weary of their lives by sore labor in clay and in brick, and in all work in the field, with all manner of bondage, [j]which they laid upon them most cruelly.
15 ¶ Moreover the King of Egypt commanded the midwives of the Hebrew women (of which the one’s name was [k]Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah)
16 And said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the women of the Hebrews, and see them on their [l]stools, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then let her live.
17 Notwithstanding the midwives feared God, and did not as the King of Egypt commanded them, but preserved alive the men children.
18 Then the King of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done thus, and have preserved alive the men children?
19 And the midwives answered Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew [m]women are not as the women of Egypt: for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come at them.
20 God therefore prospered the midwives, and the people multiplied, and were very mighty.
21 And because the midwives feared God, therefore he [n]made them houses.
22 Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every man-child that is born, [o]cast ye into the river, but reserve every maid-child alive.
Footnotes
- Exodus 1:1 Moses describeth the wonderful order that God observeth in performing his promise to Abraham, Gen. 15:14.
- Exodus 1:5 Or, persons.
- Exodus 1:7 Or, did grow.
- Exodus 1:7 He meaneth the country of Goshen.
- Exodus 1:8 He considered not how God had preserved Egypt for Joseph’s sake.
- Exodus 1:10 Into Canaan, and so we shall lose our commodity.
- Exodus 1:10 Or, go up out of the land.
- Exodus 1:11 Or, corn and provision.
- Exodus 1:12 The more that God blesseth his, the more doth the wicked envy them.
- Exodus 1:14 Hebrew, wherewith they served themselves of them by cruelty.
- Exodus 1:15 These seem to have been the chief of the rest.
- Exodus 1:16 Or, seats whereupon they sat in travail.
- Exodus 1:19 Their disobedience herein was lawful, but their dissembling evil.
- Exodus 1:21 That is, God increased the families of the Israelites by their means.
- Exodus 1:22 When tyrants cannot prevail by craft, they burst forth into open rage.
Exodus 1
King James Version
1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which 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 the souls that came out of the loins 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 waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which 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 on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up 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 rigour:
14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye 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 men children alive.
18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?
19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
