1. These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; each came with his family:
2. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
3. Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
4. Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.
5. The total number of Jacob’s descendants was 70; Joseph was already in Egypt.
6. Then Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died.
7. But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them.
8. A new king, who had not known Joseph, came to power in Egypt.
9. He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are.
10. Let us deal shrewdly with them; otherwise they will multiply further, and if war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”
11. So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh.