Exodus 1:11-22

11So they appointed 1taskmasters over them to afflict them with 23hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh 4storage cities, Pithom and 5Raamses. 12But the more they afflicted them, 6the more they multiplied and the more they 7spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel. 13The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel 8to labor rigorously; 14and they made 9their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously 10imposed on them.

15Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom 11was named Shiphrah and the other 12was named Puah; 16and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, 13if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17But the midwives 1415feared God, and 16did not do as the king of Egypt had 17commanded them, but let the boys live. 18So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” 19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife 18can get to them.” 20So 19God was good to the midwives, and 20the people multiplied, and became very 21mighty. 21Because the midwives 2223feared God, He 2425established 26households for them. 22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “27Every son who is born 28you are to cast into 29the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”