1 Foi-se um homem da casa de Levi e casou com uma filha de Levi.2 A mulher concebeu e deu à luz um filho; e, vendo que ele era formoso, escondeu-o três meses.3 Não podendo escondê-lo por mais tempo, tomou para ele uma arca de juncos, e betumou-a com betume e pez; e metendo na arca o menino, pô-la à beira do rio num carriçal.4 Sua irmã ficou de longe para ver o que lhe havia de acontecer.5 Desceu a filha de Faraó para se banhar no rio, e as suas criadas andavam passeando à beira do rio; vendo ela no carriçal a arca, mandou a sua criada buscá-la.6 Quando ela a abriu, viu a criança; e eis que o menino chorava. Tendo compaixão dele, disse: Este é um dos filhos dos hebreus.7 Então perguntou a irmã do menino à filha de Faraó: Queres que eu te vá chamar uma ama das hebréias, para que crie o menino para ti?8 Respondeu-lhe a filha de Faraó: Vai. Foi-se, pois, a moça, e chamou a mãe do menino.9 Então lhe disse a filha de Faraó: Toma este menino, e cria-mo, e eu te darei o teu salário. A mulher tomou o menino e o criou.10 Sendo o menino já grande, ela o trouxe à filha de Faraó, a qual o adotou por filho, e lhe chamou Moisés, dizendo: Porque das águas o tirei.11 Por aqueles dias, sendo Moisés já homem, saiu a ter com seus irmãos, e para as suas cargas atentou; e viu um egípcio ferindo a um de seus irmãos hebreus.12 Olhou para uma e outra parte e, vendo que não havia ali ninguém, matou o egípcio e escondeu-o na areia.13 Saiu no dia seguinte, e eis que dois hebreus estavam brigando; e perguntou ao que fazia a injúria: Por que feres ao teu próximo?14 Respondeu ele: Quem te constituiu a ti príncipe e juiz sobre nós? pensas tu matar-me como mataste o egípcio? Temeu, pois, Moisés e disse: Sem dúvida já está isso conhecido.15 Ora, depois que Faraó soube disso, procurava matar a Moisés. Porém Moisés fugiu da presença de Faraó, e deteve-se na terra de Midiã; e sentou-se junto dum poço.16 O sacerdote de Midiã tinha sete filhas; vieram estas tirar água e encheram os tanques para dar de beber ao rebanho de seu pai.17 Então vieram os pastores, e as enxotaram; Moisés, porém, levantou-se, defendeu-as, e deu de beber ao rebanho delas.18 Tendo voltado à casa de seu pai Reuel, perguntou ele: Como é que voltastes tão cedo hoje?19 Responderam elas: Um egípcio livrou-nos das mãos dos pastores, e além disto tirou água e deu de beber ao rebanho.20 Replicou a suas filhas: Onde está ele? Por que é que deixastes lá o homem? Chamai-o para que coma pão.21 Moisés consentiu em morar com o homem; e ele deu a Moisés sua filha Zípora.22 Ela deu à luz um filho, a quem ele chamou Gérson, porque disse: Peregrino tenho sido numa terra estrangeira.23 No decorrer de muitos dias morreu o rei do Egito; os filhos de Israel gemiam sob a escravidão, e por causa dela clamaram, e subiu a Deus o seu clamor.24 Ouviu-lhes Deus os gemidos, e lembrou-se da sua aliança com Abraão, com Isaque e com Jacó.25 Viu Deus os filhos de Israel, e os conheceu.

1 A man from Levi’s family married a Levite woman.2 The woman became pregnant and bore a son. She saw how beautiful he was and hid him for three months.3 When she could not hide him any longer, she took a basket made of papyrus reeds and coated it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in it and set it among the papyrus reeds near the bank of the Nile River.4 The baby’s sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.5 The king’s daughter came to the river to bathe. Her servants walked along the bank. Suddenly she noticed the basket in the papyrus reeds and sent a slave woman to get it.6 She opened it and saw a baby boy. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. »This is one of the Hebrew babies,« she said.7 His sister asked her: »Shall I go and call a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for you?«8 »Please do,« she answered. So the girl went and brought the baby’s own mother.9 Pharaoh’s daughter told her: »Take care of this child, and I will pay you. The baby’s mother carried him home and took care of him.«10 When he was old enough, she took him to the king’s daughter, who adopted him. She named him Moses because she said: »I pulled him out of the water.«11 After Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people his brothers were hard at work. He saw an Egyptian beating one of them.12 Moses looked around to see if anyone was watching. Then he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.13 The next day when Moses went out, he saw two Hebrews fighting. So he went to the man who started the fight and asked: »Why are you beating up one of your own people?«14 The man replied: »Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?« Moses was afraid and said: »Surely the matter has become known.«15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian by a well.16 The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away. Moses stood up and helped them water their flock.18 When they returned to Reuel their father, he said, »Why have you come back so soon today?«19 They said: »An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds. He drew water for us and watered the flock.«20 He asked his daughters: »Where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.«21 Moses was content to live with the man. He gave Moses his daughter Zipporah.22 She bore a son, and he called his name Gershom. For he said: »I have been a stranger in a strange land.«23 Time went by and the king of Egypt died. The Israelites still groaned because they were slaves. So they cried out, and their cries for help went up to God.24 God heard their groaning. He remembered his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.25 God saw the Israelites being oppressed and was concerned about them.