Exodus 1:1-11 ▼

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who entered Egypt--each man with his household entered with Jacob:

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5 All the people who were directly descended from Jacob numbered seventy. But Joseph was already in Egypt,

6 and in time Joseph and his brothers and all that generation died.

7 The Israelites, however, were fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and became extremely strong, so that the land was filled with them.

8 Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power over Egypt.

9 He said to his people, |Look at the Israelite people, more numerous and stronger than we are!

10 Come, 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.|

11 So 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.