A reading from the Book of Exodus. These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt

with Jacob, each with his household, Rubin, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Isakar, Zebulin, and Benjamin,

Dan and Naftali, Gad, and Asher.

All the descendants of Jacob were 70 persons.

Joseph was already in Egypt.

Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.

But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly. They multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph, and he said to his people, Behold, the people of Israel are

too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and if war breaks out,

they join our enemies, and fight against us and escape

from the land. Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens.

They built for pharaohs store cities, Python, and Ramsey's. But the more they were oppressed,

the more they multiplied, and the more they spread abroad, and the Egyptians were in dread

of the people of Israel, so they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves,

and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds

of work in the field, and all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

Then the King of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives,

one of whom was named Shipra and the other Pua. When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women,

and see them on the birth stool, if it is a son, you shall kill him. But if it is a daughter,

she shall live. But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the King of Egypt

commanded them. But let the male children live. So the King of Egypt called the midwives and said to

them, Why have you done this and let the male children live? The midwives said to Pharaoh,

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