Exodus 1:10

8 Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt.

9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.

Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”

11 So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”
KJV
Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
WEB
Come, let’s deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and escape out of the land.”
ASV
come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.
DARBY
Come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass that, if war occur, they take side with our enemies and fight against us, and go up out of the land.
BLB
Come, let us act wisely with him, lest he multiply, and it comes to pass when war meets us, that he also may join himself to those hating us and fight against us and go up out of the land.”
ÅB
Nå vel, la oss gå klokt til verks mot dem, for at de ikke skal ta mere til, og for at de ikke, om det kommer krig, skal slå seg i lag med våre fiender og føre krig mot oss og dra ut av landet.
OTB
Kom, la oss handle klokt med dem, for at de ikke skal bli flere, og i tilfelle krig, kan de slutte seg til våre fiender, kjempe mot oss, og forlate landet."
B1930
Nu vel, la oss gå klokt til verks mot dem, forat de ikke skal ta mere til, og forat de ikke, om det kommer krig, skal slå sig i lag med våre fiender og føre krig mot oss og dra ut av landet.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references