Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet
Aleph
1 1 oBlessed are those whose way is blameless,
who pwalk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who qkeep his testimonies,
who rseek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
4 You have commanded your precepts
5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in ukeeping your statutes!
6 Then I shall vnot be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.2
8 I will keep your statutes;
wdo not utterly forsake me!
Beth
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10 With 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 declare
all the rules3 of your mouth.
14 In the way of your testimonies I adelight
as much as in all briches.
15 I will cmeditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 I will ddelight in your statutes;
I will not eforget your word.
Gimel
17 fDeal bountifully with your servant,
gthat I may live and hkeep your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
iwondrous things out of your law.
19 I am a jsojourner on the earth;
hide not your commandments from me!
20 My soul is consumed with klonging
for your rules4 at all times.
21 You rebuke the linsolent, accursed ones,
who wander from your commandments.
22 Take away from me scorn and contempt,
for I have kept your testimonies.
23 Even though mprinces sit plotting against me,
your servant will meditate on your statutes.
24 Your testimonies are my delight;
they are my ncounselors.
Israel Increases Greatly in Egypt
1 aThese are the names of the sons of Israel bwho 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 cseventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 dThen Joseph died, eand all his brothers and all that generation. 7 fBut the people of Israel were gfruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
Pharaoh Oppresses Israel
8 hNow there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 iCome, let 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 to jafflict them with heavy kburdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they lspread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they mruthlessly made the people of Israel nwork as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with ohard service, in mortar and pbrick, 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, qif it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 rBut the midwives sfeared God and tdid 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 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, u“Every son that is born to the Hebrews1 you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”
