Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.(A) “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous(B) for us.(C) 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly(D) with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”(E)

11 So they put slave masters(F) over them to oppress them with forced labor,(G) and they built Pithom and Rameses(H) as store cities(I) for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly.(J) 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor(K) in brick(L) and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.(M)

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives,(N) whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”(O)

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Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

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.

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