| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1These are the names of the sons of Israel who entered Egypt--each man with his household entered with Jacob: | 1These are the names of the Israelis who entered Egypt with Jacob, each one having come with his family: |
| 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, | 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, |
| 3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, | 3Issacar, Zebulun, Benjamin, |
| 4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. | 4Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. |
| 5All the people who were directly descended from Jacob numbered seventy. But Joseph was already in Egypt, | 5All those who descended from Jacob totaled 75 persons. Now Joseph was already in Egypt. |
| 6and in time Joseph and his brothers and all that generation died. | 6Then Joseph, all his brothers, and that entire generation died. |
| 7The Israelites, however, were fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and became extremely strong, so that the land was filled with them. | 7But the Israelis were fruitful and increased abundantly. They multiplied in numbers and became very, very strong. As a result, the land was filled with them. |
| 8Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power over Egypt. | 8Eventually a new king who was unacquainted with Joseph came to power in Egypt. |
| 9He said to his people, "Look at the Israelite people, more numerous and stronger than we are! | 9He told his people, "Look, the Israeli people are more numerous and more powerful than we are. |
| 10Come, let's deal wisely with them. Otherwise they will continue to multiply, and if a war breaks out, they will ally themselves with our enemies and fight against us and leave the country." | 10Come on, let's be careful how we treat them, so that when they grow numerous, if a war breaks out they won't join our enemies, fight against us, and leave our land." |
| 11So they put foremen over the Israelites to oppress them with hard labor. As a result they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. | 11So the Egyptians placed supervisors over them, oppressing them with heavy burdens. The Israelis built the supply cities of Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. |
| 12But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread. As a result the Egyptians loathed the Israelites, | 12But the more the Egyptians afflicted the Israelis, the more they multiplied and flourished, so that the Egyptians became terrified of the Israelis. |
| 13and they made the Israelites serve rigorously. | 13The Egyptians ruthlessly forced the Israelis to serve them, |
| 14They made their lives bitter by hard service with mortar and bricks and by all kinds of service in the fields. Every kind of service the Israelites were required to give was rigorous. | 14making their lives bitter through hard labor with mortar, bricks, and all kinds of outdoor labor. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them. |
| 15The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, | 15Later, the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah. |
| 16"When you assist the Hebrew women in childbirth, observe at the delivery: If it is a son, kill him, but if it is a daughter, she may live." | 16"When you help the Hebrew women give birth," he said, "watch them as they deliver. If it's a son, kill him; but if it's a daughter, let her live." |
| 17But the midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. | 17But the midwives feared God and didn't do what the king of Egypt told them. Instead, they let the boys live. |
| 18Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this and let the boys live?" | 18When the king of Egypt called for the midwives, he asked them, "Why have you done this and allowed the boys to live?" |
| 19The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women--for the Hebrew women are vigorous; they give birth before the midwife gets to them!" | 19"Hebrew women aren't like Egyptian women," the midwives replied to Pharaoh. "They're so healthy that they give birth before the midwives arrive to help them." |
| 20So God treated the midwives well, and the people multiplied and became very strong. | 20God was pleased with the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong. |
| 21And because the midwives feared God, he made households for them. | 21Because the midwives feared God, he provided families for them. |
| 22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "All sons that are born you must throw into the river, but all daughters you may let live." | 22Meanwhile, Pharaoh continued commanding all of his people, "You're to throw every Hebrew son who is born into the Nile River, but you're to allow every Hebrew daughter to live." |
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