Exodus 1:1-20 (Holy Monday Vespers)

These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:  Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,  Is'sachar, Zeb'ulun, and Benjamin,  Dan and Naph'tali, Gad and Asher.  All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt.  Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.  But the descendants 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 befall us, 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; and they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Ra-am'ses.  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 made the people of Israel serve with rigor,  and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field; in all their work they made them serve with rigor.  Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiph'rah and the other Pu'ah,  "When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birthstool, 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, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and are delivered before the midwife comes to them."  So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and grew very strong.