Study Desk

Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt.

Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.

"Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us.

"Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become far too numerous for us.

Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country."

Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country."

So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites

But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites

and worked them ruthlessly.

and worked them ruthlessly.

They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.

They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.