Exodus
Chapter 1
What Happens in This Chapter
Jacob's family came to Egypt and grew into a large people. A new king of Egypt did not remember Joseph, so he became afraid of them. He made them slaves and worked them very hard. When that did not stop them from growing, he told the midwives to kill the baby boys. The midwives would not do it, so the king ordered all his people to throw the boys into the river.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.
1These are the names of Israel's sons who went to Egypt. Israel was another name for Jacob. Each son brought his own family along.
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin.
4Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.
5Jacob's family added up to seventy people in all. Joseph was already living in Egypt.
6And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.
6Then Joseph died. His brothers died too. Everyone from that time died.
7And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
7But their families had many, many children. They grew strong and filled the land of Egypt.
8Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
8Then a new king began to rule Egypt. He did not know anything about Joseph.
9And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
9He said to his people, "Look. These people of Israel are too many and too strong for us."
10Come 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.
10"Let us think of a clever plan. If they keep growing, and a war starts, they might help our enemies. Then they might fight us and leave our land."
11Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
11So the Egyptians put bosses over them to make them work hard. The people of Israel built two storage cities for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The cities were 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.
12But the harder Egypt worked them, the more they grew. So the Egyptians became afraid of them.
13And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
13The Egyptians were cruel and made the people of Israel work like slaves.
14And 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.
14They made their lives sad and hard. The people mixed mud, made bricks, and worked in the fields. Every job was hard, and the Egyptians were cruel.
15And 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:
15The king of Egypt talked to two Hebrew midwives. A midwife helps mothers when their babies are born. Their names were Shiphrah and Puah.
16And 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.
16He said, "Watch closely when the Hebrew women have their babies. If the baby is a boy, kill him. If the baby is a girl, let her live."
The old wording says the women sat "upon the stools." That means a special birth chair women used long ago.
17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
17But the midwives loved and obeyed God. They did not do what the king said. They let the baby boys live.
18And 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?
18So the king of Egypt called the midwives in. He asked, "Why did you do this? Why did you let the boys live?"
19And 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.
19The midwives told Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women. They are strong. Their babies come before we get there."
"Lively" in the old wording does not mean cheerful. It means the Hebrew women were strong and quick.
20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
20So God was good to the midwives. And the people of Israel kept growing and became very strong.
21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
21Because the midwives loved and obeyed God, he gave them families of their own.
"He made them houses" does not mean God built them buildings. It means he gave them children and families.
22And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
22Then Pharaoh gave an order to all his people. "Throw every baby boy that is born into the river. Let every baby girl live."
The river is the Nile, the big river that runs through Egypt.
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