1527 BC, Goshen

It was later on the very day when the Pharaohs spoke with them when Shiphrah and Puah were called to a birth. The two midwives were such nervous wrecks that they nearly botched the birth. The woman gave birth to a daughter, to the midwives' relief.

The next night, they weren't so lucky. The woman was having twins. Shiphrah and Puah know they would almost certainly have to choose between their conscience and the king. Between what they knew was right, and preserving their own lives.

The first twin came out. It was a girl. Shiphrah and Puah were both relieved. But that made the next part of the labour even more nerve-wracking.

The mother yelled in pain as she gave a final push. The second baby came out. Shiphrah checked the baby's groin. Her heart nearly stopped. "It's a boy."

Shiphrah handed the baby to his delighted but exhausted mother, who was completely oblivious to the Pharaoh's decree. The father, holding the girl, leaned over and kissed his wife on the forehead. They both lovingly admired their firstborn children.

Shiphrah and Puah stood back and spoke quietly. "Well," Shiphrah said nervously, "you know our orders."

"Are you going to do it?" Puah asked, looking Shiprah in the face.

Shiphrah wrestled for a few moments inside herself. Pharaoh's orders, or her faith in Yehovah? Then she looked at the loving family, and immediately knew the answer. "No," she said firmly.

Puah looked at the babies. "Neither am I."

Two months later, Pharaoh's Palace

Puah and Shiphrah were nervously escorted inside. Word of the spared babies had reached Pharaoh Amenemhat III while his father was away on a state visit to Punt. Amenemhat had immediately summoned the midwives.

And now they stood before him, in all his kingly glory. And fury. Both Puah and Shiphrah were secretly quite scared. But they knew they had done the right thing. They would never change their actions.

Amenemhat was straight to the point. "What is this report I've heard?!" he thundered. "Why did you do this, keeping alive the male children?"

Puah spoke up, with a story she had quickly concocted with Yehovah's help. "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, whom we used to birth. The Hebrew women are very vigorous. They give birth before the midwives can reach them."

Shiphrah looked at her sister with amazement, admiring her incredible and bold lie. "It is true, O Great One," she said, turning to face the king and going along with the lie. "We almost never get there in time."

"Ah," Amenemhat loudly groaned. They were probably telling the truth. There was only one thing left to be done – something his father would no doubt be proud of on his return. "Commander!" he barked. The man quickly came forward and bowed. "Spread the news to every captain and soldier in Goshen. Make sure every single one hears it. Every son that is born to a Hebrew household, you shall throw him into the river! Not one will be spared! Scribes, record this and have it proclaimed throughout the land. If any Israelite parents attempt to resist and save their baby son, slay them and their entire families!

Goshen, the next night

Amram and Jochabed listened in horror. Their two children, Miriam and Aaron, hid in their arms to try and drown out the noise. Their next-door neighbours had had a baby son. Less than an hour ago, the air was filled with the cries of a woman in labour. Now it filled with screams of terror and agony as the soldiers who came to murder the baby boy mercilessly slaughtered the whole family, the father having tried to fight the soldiers.

The screams soon turned to a sickening silence, broken only by the receding footsteps of the soldiers. Amram swallowed, and looked at his wife. She was three months' pregnant with their third child. Miriam and Aaron slowly raised their heads.

"Come on, dear," Jochabed – who was Amram's aunt in addition to his wife – told Miriam, their eldest. "Time for bed."

"Yes," Amram told Aaron. "You, too."

"Yes, father," they said, and went off to the bedroom.

"I'll go with them," Jochabed whispered to Aaron as she got up and followed the children.

Amram nodded dejectedly. He had been so pleased when his wife told him she was pregnant, even if the child's future was bleak. Now he felt utterly hopeless and scared. His nation was facing extinction. Where was God? Where were His promises?

There was nothing else to do, so Amram got down on his knees, clasped his hands, bowed his head, and began to pray. "Yehovah, the God of our father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, You know what wicked men are doing to us. To our nation. To Your people. And You know that my wife is pregnant. Please, Yehovah, have compassion on Your people Israel. We have not disobeyed Your laws of worship. Please, I beg You, deliver us from the miseries we are now facing. Undermine and foil our enemy's hopes of our destruction. Please, O Yehovah, save us in Your great mercy." With that, Amram got up and went to bed.

Jochabed struggled not to yell as she gave birth. She knew that if the Egyptian soldiers discovered she was giving birth, and if the baby turned out to be a boy, her third child would be murdered. And their entire family would be murdered if she or her husband Amram dared resist.

But she couldn't help it. She had to scream. She pushed extra hard to get the birth with over and done quicker – before the soldiers inevitably arrived.

The final part of the birth was here. She gave a final, enormous push (screaming as she did so) and the baby came out. Amram, who was birthing her (no midwives were called, so as to try and keep the birth secret) checked. "A son."

Moments later, the door burst open and soldiers entered. The lead soldier immediately walked up to the terrified Amram and took the baby from him. "It's a boy," he said.

Amram instantly grabbed his son off the soldier and retreated into a corner, picking up a knife. The soldiers moved forwards to kill them. "Wait," the leader said, holding out his arm and looking slyly at Amram. "Kill the family first."

"No!" Amram yelled, but it was to no avail. His wife, his daughter Miriam, and his son Aaron were butchered. As he watched in horror, he unconsciously let go of the knife. The lead soldier then approached him. He raised his sword above the terrified father and son, and then brought it down on them.

Amram woke up in a sweat, terrified from the nightmare. He looked at his sleeping wife, three months' pregnant. His breathing began to calm. Then he heard a voice. "Amram." He looked to his left, and saw a shining figure standing next to his bed. He could not make out the face. "Amram," he repeated.

"Yes, Lord?" Amram asked, somewhat nervous.

"I have heard your prayers. I hear the cries of My people. Do not despair of the future. Fear not. I have not forgotten your reverence of Me, and will always reward those your people when they obey Me, as I rewarded your fathers, and made them go from a small number to a great multitude. When Abraham journeyed from the land of the Chaldeans to the land of Canaan, he was made happy because, among many other things, his old and barren wife gave birth to a son. To Abraham's eldest son Ishmael, I gave the land of Arabia. To Abraham's sons by Keturah, I gave numerous other lands including Midian and Troglodytis. And to your forefather Isaac, I gave the land of Canaan. By My assistance, your forefathers made great exploits in war – which you should remember, unless, of course, you are impious." Amram thought he saw a hint of a smile at these words. "As for Jacob, he became well known to strangers, by the greatness of his prosperity he had, which he left to sons – which I gave him. He came into Egypt with no more than 75 souls – while you now number more than 600,000. Therefore know that I WILL provide for you all, for your good, but particularly for yourself, and what shall make you famous. For that child whom you will soon have – out of whose dread the Egyptians are attempting to exterminate the Israelite children – will be born, and will be concealed and protected from those wishing to destroy him. And when he is raised (which will be in a surprising way), he will deliver the Hebrew nation from their bondage under the Egyptians. His memory will be famous for as long as the world lasts – and not only among the Hebrews, but among foreigners, and all nations of the earth. This will be my favour to you, and to your posterity. His brother Aaron, your son, will be given my priesthood, for himself and for his sons and descendants after him, to the end of the world."

Amram awoke with a start. Had it all been a dream? Had Yehovah Himself really spoken to him? He was just beginning to doubt, when he heard the same voice say, "I am with you," as a glowing dove flew past the window. He smiled to himself, then quietly awoke his wife and told her the good news.