1 Un om din casa lui Levi luase de nevastă pe o fată a lui Levi.

2 Femeia aceasta a rămas însărcinată, şi a născut un fiu. A văzut că este frumos, şi l -a ascuns trei luni.

3 Ne mai putînd să -l ascundă, a luat un sicriaş de papură, pe care l -a uns cu lut şi cu smoală; a pus copilul în el, şi l -a aşezat între trestii, pe malul rîului.

4 Sora copilului pîndea la o depărtare oarecare, ca să vadă ce are să i se întîmple.

5 Fata lui Faraon s'a pogorît la rîu, să se scalde; şi fetele cari o însoţeau se plimbau pe marginea rîului. Ea a zărit sicriaşul în mijlocul trestiilor, şi a trimes pe roaba ei să -l ia.

6 L -a deschis şi a văzut copilul: era un băieţaş care plîngea. I -a fost milă de el, şi a zis: ,,Este un copil de al Evreilor!``

7 Atunci sora copilului a zis fetei lui Faraon: ,,Să mă duc să-ţi chem o doică dintre femeile Evreilor, ca să-ţi alăpteze copilul?``

8 ,,Du-te``, i -a răspuns fata lui Faraon. Şi fata s'a dus şi a chemat pe mama copilului.

9 Fata lui Faraon i -a zis: ,,Ia copilul acesta, alăptează-mi -l, şi îţi voi plăti.`` Femeia a luat copilul, şi l -a alăptat.

10 Copilul a crescut, şi ea l -a adus fetei lui Faraon; şi el i -a fost fiu. I -a pus numele Moise (Scos); ,,căci``, a zis ea, ,,l-am scos din ape.``

11 În vremea aceea, Moise, crescînd mare, a ieşit pe la fraţii săi, şi a fost martor la muncile lor grele. A văzut pe un Egiptean, care bătea pe un Evreu, unul dintre fraţii lui.

12 S'a uitat în toate părţile, şi, văzînd că nu este nimeni, a omorît pe Egiptean şi l -a ascuns în nisip.

13 A ieşit şi în ziua următoare; şi iată că doi Evrei se certau. A zis celui ce n'avea dreptate: ,,Pentru ce loveşti pe semenul tău?``

14 Şi omul acela a răspuns: ,,Cine te -a pus pe tine mai mare şi judecător peste noi? Nu cumva ai de gînd să mă omori şi pe mine, cum ai omorît pe Egipteanul acela?`` Moise s'a temut şi a zis: ,,Nu mai încape îndoială că faptul este cunoscut.

15 Faraon a aflat ce se petrecuse, şi căuta să omoare pe Moise. Dar Moise a fugit dinaintea lui Faraon, şi a locuit în ţara Madian. A şezut lîngă o fîntînă.

16 Preotul din Madian avea şapte fete. Ele au venit să scoată apă, şi au umplut jghiaburile ca să adape turma tatălui lor.

17 Dar au venit păstorii, şi le-au luat la goană. Atunci Moise s'a sculat, le -a ajutat, şi le -a adăpat turma.

18 Cînd s'au întors ele la tatăl lor Reuel, el a zis: ,,Pentru ce vă întoarceţi aşa de curînd azi?``

19 Ele au răspuns: ,,Un Egiptean ne -a scăpat din mîna păstorilor, şi chiar ne -a scos apă, şi a adăpat turma.``

20 Şi el a zis fetelor: ,,Unde este? Pentruce aţi lăsat acolo pe omul acela! Chemaţi -l să mănînce pîne!``

21 Moise s'a hotărît să locuiască la omul acela, care i -a dat de nevastă pe fiică-sa Sefora.

22 Ea a născut un fiu, căruia el i -a pus numele Gherşom (Sînt străin aici); ,,căci``, a zis el, ,,locuiesc ca străin într -o ţară străină.``

23 După multă vreme, împăratul Egiptului a murit; şi copiii lui Israel gemeau încă din pricina robiei, şi scoteau strigăte desnădăjduite. Strigătele acestea, pe cari li le smulgea robia, s'au suit pînă la Dumnezeu.

24 Dumnezeu a auzit gemetele lor, şi Şi -a adus aminte de legămîntul Său făcut cu Avraam, Isaac, şi Iacov.

25 Dumnezeu a privit spre copiii lui Israel, şi a luat cunoştinţă de ei.

1 Now a man of the house of Levi took as his wife a daughter of Levi.

2 And she became with child and gave birth to a Son; and when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she kept him secretly for three months.

3 And when she was no longer able to keep him secret, she made him a basket out of the stems of water-plants, pasting sticky earth over it to keep the water out; and placing the baby in it she put it among the plants by the edge of the Nile.

4 And his sister took her place at a distance to see what would become of him.

5 Now Pharaoh's daughter came down to the Nile to take a bath, while her women were walking by the riverside; and she saw the basket among the river-plants, and sent her servant-girl to get it.

6 And opening it, she saw the child, and he was crying. And she had pity on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, May I go and get you one of the Hebrew women to give him the breast?

8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the girl went and got the child's mother.

9 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Take the child away and give it milk for me, and I will give you payment. And the woman took the child and gave it milk at her breast.

10 And when the child was older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son, and she gave him the name Moses, Because, she said, I took him out of the water.

11 Now when Moses had become a man, one day he went out to his people and saw how hard their work was; and he saw an Egyptian giving blows to a Hebrew, one of his people.

12 And turning this way and that, and seeing no one, he put the Egyptian to death, covering his body with sand.

13 And he went out the day after and saw two of the Hebrews fighting: and he said to him who was in the wrong, Why are you fighting your brother?

14 And he said, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? are you going to put me to death as you did the Egyptian? And Moses was in fear, and said, It is clear that the thing has come to light.

15 Now when Pharaoh had news of this, he would have put Moses to death. But Moses went in flight from Pharaoh into the land of Midian: and he took his seat by a water-spring.

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came to get water for their father's flock.

17 And the keepers of the sheep came up and were driving them away; but Moses got up and came to their help, watering their flock for them.

18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that you have come back so quickly today?

19 And they said, An Egyptian came to our help against the keepers of sheep and got water for us and gave it to the flock.

20 And he said to his daughters, Where is he? why have you let the man go? make him come in and give him a meal.

21 And Moses was happy to go on living with the man; and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.

22 And she gave birth to a son, to whom he gave the name Gershom: for he said, I have been living in a strange land.

23 Now after a long time the king of Egypt came to his end: and the children of Israel were crying in their grief under the weight of their work, and their cry for help came to the ears of God.

24 And at the sound of their weeping the agreement which God had made with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob came to his mind.

25 And God's eyes were turned to the children of Israel and he gave them the knowledge of himself.