摩西出生

有一个利未族人跟他同族的女子结婚。 那女子怀孕,生了一个男婴。她看见孩子可爱,就把他藏了三个月。 后来无法再藏下去,她就拿来一个蒲草篮子,外面涂上防水的沥青和柏油,然后把婴儿放在里面,又把篮子放在尼罗河边的芦苇丛中。 婴儿的姐姐远远地站着,要看看她的弟弟究竟会怎样。

这时,法老的女儿来到河边沐浴,宫女们在河边行走。公主发现了芦苇丛中的篮子,便吩咐一个婢女去把它取来。 公主打开一看,原来是一个男婴。公主看见孩子在哭,就可怜他,说:“他是希伯来人的孩子。” 婴儿的姐姐对公主说:“我去找一个希伯来妇女当奶妈,为你哺养他好吗?” 公主回答说:“好!”那女孩就跑去把婴孩的母亲带来。 公主对那妇女说:“你把孩子抱去,替我哺养他,我会给你工钱。”她便把孩子抱去哺养。 10 孩子渐渐长大,她便把他带到公主那里,孩子就做了公主的儿子。公主给孩子取名叫摩西,意思是“我把他从水中拉了上来”。

11 后来,摩西长大了,他去看望做苦工的希伯来同胞,看见一个埃及人在殴打他的一个希伯来同胞。 12 他左右观望,见四下无人,便下手杀了那埃及人,把尸体埋藏在沙地里。 13 第二天,他又出去,看见两个希伯来人在打架,便过去对理亏的人说:“你为什么打自己的同胞呢?” 14 那人说:“你以为你是谁啊?谁立你做我们的首领和审判官?难道你要杀我,像杀那个埃及人一样吗?”摩西听了,害怕起来,心想:“我做的事一定被人知道了。” 15 法老听说这件事后,便想杀死摩西。摩西为了躲避法老,就逃到米甸居住。一天他坐在一口井旁, 16 米甸祭司的七个女儿来打水,要把水倒进槽里饮她们父亲的羊。 17 这时,来了另外一群牧人要把她们赶走。摩西便起来帮助她们,打水饮她们的羊群。 18 她们回到父亲流珥[a]那里,父亲问她们:“你们今天怎么这么快就回来了?” 19 她们答道:“有一个埃及人救我们免遭牧人的欺负,还帮我们打水饮羊群。” 20 他又问女儿们:“现在那人在哪里?你们怎么可以丢下他不管呢?去请他来吃点东西。” 21 后来,摩西同意住在那人家里。那人把女儿西坡拉许配给他。 22 后来,西坡拉生了一个儿子,摩西给他取名叫革舜,意思是“我成了在异乡寄居的人”。

23 过了多年,埃及王死了。以色列人受尽奴役,就哀叹呼求,声音传到上帝那里。 24 上帝听见他们的哀声,顾念从前跟亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各所立的约, 25 就垂顾他们,体恤他们。

Footnotes

  1. 2:18 流珥”又名“叶忒罗”。

And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.

And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.

And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it.

10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.

12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?

14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?

19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.

20 And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.

21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

22 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.