8Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. 9And he said unto his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: 10Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when war occurs, they join our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land”. 11Therefore they set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. 13And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: 14And 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.

15And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, the name of the one of which was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah. 16And he said, “When you do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it is a son, then you shall kill him: but if it is a daughter, then she shall live”. 17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. 18And 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?” 19And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered before the midwives come in unto them. 20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. 21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that He gave them families. 22And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, “Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive”.