New American Standard Bible 1995

Exodus 1:13-20

13The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel 1to labor rigorously; 14and they made 2their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously 3imposed on them.

15Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom 4was named Shiphrah and the other 5was named Puah; 16and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, 6if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17But the midwives 7 8feared God, and 9did not do as the king of Egypt had 10commanded 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 11can get to them.” 20So 12God was good to the midwives, and 13the people multiplied, and became very 14mighty.

Read all of Exodus 1

Notes

1. Exodus 1:13 Gen 15:13; Deut 4:20 ↩
2. Exodus 1:14 Ex 2:23; 6:9; Num 20:15; Acts 7:19 ↩
3. Exodus 1:14 Lit worked through them ↩
4. Exodus 1:15 Lit the name was ↩
5. Exodus 1:15 Lit the name was ↩
6. Exodus 1:16 Acts 7:19 ↩
7. Exodus 1:17 Or revered ↩
8. Exodus 1:17 Ex 1:21; Prov 16:6 ↩
9. Exodus 1:17 Acts 4:18-20; 5:29 ↩
10. Exodus 1:17 Lit spoken to ↩
11. Exodus 1:19 Lit comes to ↩
12. Exodus 1:20 Prov 11:18; Eccl 8:12; Heb 6:10 ↩
13. Exodus 1:20 Ex 1:12; Is 3:10 ↩
14. Exodus 1:20 Or numerous ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Exodus 1