¹⁷ `And according as the time of the promise was drawing nigh, which God did swear to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,

⁶ `And God spake thus, That his seed shall be sojourning in a strange land, and they shall cause it to serve, and shall do it evil four hundred years,

¹⁷ the God of this people Israel did choose our fathers, and the people He did exalt in their sojourning in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm did He bring them out of it;

¹³ and He saith to Abram, `knowing -- know that thy seed is a sojourner in a land not theirs, and they have served them, and they have afflicted them four hundred years,

¹⁴ and the nation also whom they serve I judge, and after this they go out with great substance;

¹⁵ and thou -- thou comest in unto thy fathers in peace; thou art buried in a good old age;

¹⁶ and the fourth generation doth turn back hither, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.'

⁷ and the sons of Israel have been fruitful, and they teem, and multiply, and are very very mighty, and the land is filled with them.

⁸ And there riseth a new king over Egypt, who hath not known Joseph,

⁹ and he saith unto his people, `Lo, the people of the sons of Israel `is' more numerous and mighty than we;

¹⁰ give help! let us act wisely concerning it, lest it multiply, and it hath come to pass, when war happeneth, that it hath been joined, even it, unto those hating us, and hath fought against us, and hath gone out up of the land.'

¹¹ And they set over it princes of tribute, so as to afflict it with their burdens, and it buildeth store-cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Raamses;

¹² and as they afflict it, so it multiplieth, and so it breaketh forth, and they are vexed because of the sons of Israel;

²⁰ And God doth good to the midwives, and the people multiply, and are very mighty;

²⁴ And He maketh His people very fruitful, And maketh it mightier than its adversaries.

²⁵ He turned their heart to hate His people, To conspire against His servants.

⁸ And this one thing let not be unobserved by you, beloved, that one day with the Lord `is' as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day;

⁹ the Lord is not slow in regard to the promise, as certain count slowness, but is long-suffering to us, not counselling any to be lost but all to pass on to reformation,