Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet
Aleph
1 1 Blessed are those whose kway is blameless,
who lwalk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who mkeep his ntestimonies,
who oseek him with their whole heart,
3 who also pdo no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
4 You have commanded your qprecepts
to be kept diligently.
5 Oh that my ways may rbe steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
6 sThen I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn tyour righteous rules.2
8 I will keep your statutes;
udo not utterly forsake me!
Beth
9 How can va young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10 wWith my whole heart I seek you;
let me not xwander from your commandments!
11 I have ystored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
zteach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I adeclare
all the rules3 of your mouth.
14 In the way of your testimonies I bdelight
as much as in all criches.
15 I will dmeditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your eways.
16 I will fdelight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
Gimel
17 gDeal bountifully with your servant,
hthat I may live and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law.
19 I am ia sojourner on the earth;
jhide not your commandments from me!
20 My soul is consumed with klonging
for your rules4 at all times.
21 You rebuke lthe insolent, maccursed ones,
who nwander from your commandments.
22 Take away from me oscorn and contempt,
pfor I have kept your testimonies.
23 Even though qprinces sit plotting against me,
your servant will rmeditate on your statutes.
24 Your testimonies are my sdelight;
they are my tcounselors.
Israel Increases Greatly in Egypt
1 aThese are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were bseventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then cJoseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 dBut the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
Pharaoh Oppresses Israel
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, ewho did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, fthe people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 gCome, hlet us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them ito afflict them with heavy jburdens. They built for Pharaoh kstore cities, Pithom and lRaamses. 12 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. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel mwork as slaves 14 and nmade their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.
15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives ofeared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 pSo God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, qhe gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, r“Every son that is born to the Hebrews1 you shall cast into sthe Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”
