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Exodus 1:16-20
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Exodus 1:16-20
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
16 “When you act as midwives for the Hebrew women, look on the birthstool:[a] if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she may live.” 17 The midwives, however, feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt had ordered them, but let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this, allowing the boys to live?” 19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They are robust and give birth before the midwife arrives.” 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and grew very numerous.
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- 1:16 Birthstool: apparently a pair of stones on which the mother is seated for childbirth opposite the midwife. The Hebrew word elsewhere is used to refer to the stones of a potter’s wheel.
Exodus 1:16-20
New International Version
Exodus 1:16-20
New International Version
16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”(A) 17 The midwives, however, feared(B) God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do;(C) they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”
19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”(D)
20 So God was kind to the midwives(E) and the people increased and became even more numerous.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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