Exodus · Chapter 1

[ edit] Thes ben þe names of þe ſones of Yrael, þat ȝeden into Egipte wiþ Jacob; eche wiþ her houſholdes ȝeden yn; Ruben, Symeon, Leuy, Judas, Iſachar, Zabulon, and Beniamyn, Dan, and Neptalym, Gad, and Aſer. Þanne weren alle þe ſoules of hem þat ȝeden out of þe hipe of Jacob ſeuenti and fyue. Joſeph forſoþe was in Egipte; þe which deed, and alle hys breþeren, and al his coſynage, þe ſones of Yrael wexen, and as burionynge ben multiplied, and þei ſtrengþid fulfilliden þe erþe.

Þanne a newe kyng roos vpon Egipte, þat knewe not Joſeph, and he ſeide vnto his puple, Loo! þe puple of þe ſones of Yrael is myche, and ſtronger þan we; comeþ, wiſeli oppreſſe we it, leſt perauenture þei ben multiplied, and, if batayle aryſe aȝens vs, it be addid to oure enemyes, and, we ouercomen, he go out of þe loond. And ſo he bifore putte to hem mayſtris of werkis, þat þei ſhulden ouertraueylen hem wiþ birþens. And þei bildeden to Pharao þe citees of tabernacles, Phiton, and Rameſſes. And in as myche as þei oppreſſiden hem, ſo myche more þei weren multiplied, and wexen.

And þe Egipciens hatiden þe ſones of Yrael, and tourmentiden, ſcornynge to hem, and enuyinge; and to bitternes þei brouȝten her lijf wiþ harde werkis of cley and tyle, and wiþ al ſeruage, þurȝ þe which þei weren þriſt down in werkys of þe erþe. And þe kyng of Egipte ſeide to þe mydwyues of Ebrews, of þe whiche oon was clepid Sephora, and þat oþer Fua, comaundynge hem, Whanne ȝe ſhulen ſerue þe wymmen of Ebrew, to taken her children of her wombe, and þe tyme of birþe come, if it be a maal, ſleeþ hym; if a femaal, kepiþ. Forſoþe þe mydwyues dredden God, and diden not after þe heeſte of þe kyng of Egipte, but kepten þe males.

Þe whyche to hym clepid, ſeide þe kyng, What now is þis ȝe wolden do, þat þe knaue children ȝe wolen kepe? Þe whiche anſwerden, Wymmen of Ebrew ben not as þe wymmen of Egipte, þei forſoþe han þe kunnyng of mydwyuyng, and er we comen to hem, þei ben delyuered. Þanne God dide wel to þe mydwyues; and þe puple growide, and was coumfortid greetli. And for þe mydwiues dredden God, he byldyd to hem houſis. Þanne Pharao comaundide to al his puple, ſeiynge, What euer of maal kynde ſhal be born, þrowe ȝe it in to þe flode; what euer of femaal, kepiþ.