Exodus 1:18

Myles Coverdale Bible

Then the kynge of Egipte called the mydwyues, and sayde vnto them: Wherfore do ye this, that ye let the children lyue?

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The king of Mitzrayim called for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?"

King James Version
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

Lexham English Bible
And the king of Egypt summoned the midwives, and he said to them, "Why have you done this thing and let the boys live?"

New Century Version
Then the king of Egypt sent for the nurses and said, "Why did you do this? Why did you let the boys live?"

New English Translation
Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this and let the boys live?"

Amplified Bible
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and allowed the boy babies to live?"

New American Standard Bible
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the King of Egypt called for the midwiues, and sayde vnto them, Why haue yee done thus, and haue preserued aliue the men children?

Legacy Standard Bible
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?"

Contemporary English Version
The king called them in again and asked, "Why are you letting those baby boys live?"

Complete Jewish Bible
(ii) The king of Egypt summoned the midwives and demanded of them, "Why have you done this and let the boys live?"

Darby Translation
And the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, Why have ye done this, and saved the male children alive?

Easy-to-Read Version
The king of Egypt called for the nurses and asked them, "Why did you do this? Why did you let the baby boys live?"

English Standard Version
So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the male children live?"

George Lamsa Translation
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?

Good News Translation
So the king sent for the midwives and asked them, "Why are you doing this? Why are you letting the boys live?"

Christian Standard Bible®
So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?”

Literal Translation
And the king of Egypt called to the midwives and said to them, Why do you do this thing and keep alive the male children?

American Standard Version
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?

Bible in Basic English
And the king of Egypt sent for the women, and said to them, Why have you done this, and let the male children go on living?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the kyng of Egypt called for the mydwyfes, and sayde vnto them: why haue ye dealt on this maner, and haue saued the men chyldren?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them: 'Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?'

King James Version (1611)
And the King of Egypt called for the midwiues, & said vnto them, Why haue ye done this thing, and haue saued the men children aliue?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them, Why is it that ye have done this thing, and saved the male children alive?

English Revised Version
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

Berean Standard Bible
So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
To whiche clepid to hym the kyng seide, What is this thing which ye wolden do, that ye wolden kepe the children?

Young's Literal Translation
and the king of Egypt calleth for the midwives, and saith to them, `Wherefore have ye done this thing, and keep the lads alive?'

Update Bible Version
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, Why have you done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?

Webster's Bible Translation
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the male-children alive?

World English Bible
The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?"

New King James Version
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?"

New Living Translation
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. "Why have you done this?" he demanded. "Why have you allowed the boys to live?"

New Life Bible
So the king of Egypt called the nurses and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the boys live?"

New Revised Standard
So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then called the king of Egypt for the midwives, and said to them - Wherefore have ye done this thing, that ye should let the male children live?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king called for them and said: What is it that you meant to do, that you would save the men children?

Revised Standard Version
So the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the male children live?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?"

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ And the kynge of Egipte sayde vnto the mydwyues of the Hebrueswemen. (Of the which one was called Siphra, and the other Pua:) ¹⁶ Whan ye helpe the wemen of the Hebrues, and se vpon the stole, that it is a sonne, then slaye him: but yf it be a doughter, let her lyue. ¹⁷ Neuertheles the mydwyues feared God, & dyd not as the kinge of Egipte commaunded them, but let the children lyue. ¹⁸ Then the kynge of Egipte called the mydwyues, and sayde vnto them: Wherfore do ye this, that ye let the children lyue? ¹⁹ The mydwyues answered Pharao: The wemen of the Hebrues are not as the wemen of Egipte, for they are sturdy wemen: or euer the mydwyues come at them, they are delyuered. ²⁰ Therfore God dealt well with the mydwyues. And the people multiplied, and became exceadinge mightie. ²¹ And for so moch as the mydwyues feared God, he made them houses. ²² Then Pharao commauded all his people and sayde: All the sonnes that are borne, cast in to the water, but let all the doughters lyue.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Why have: 2 Samuel 13:28, Ecclesiastes 8:4

Cross-References

Psalms 19:6
It goeth forth fro the one ende of the heauen, and runneth aboute vnto the same ende agayne, & there maye no ma hyde himself fro the heate therof.

Jeremiah 31:35
Thus saieth the LORDE which gaue the sonne to be a light for the daye, and the Moone and starres to shyne in the night: which moueth the see, so that the floudes therof waxe fearce: his name is the LORDE of hoostes.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king called for the midwives,.... Perceiving, by the increase of the Israelites, that they did not obey his commands:

and said unto them, why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? not only did not kill them, but did everything for them that was necessary for their future preservation and health; see

Ezekiel 16:4.