1 Kāds Levija cilts vīrietis nāca un ņēma sev sievu no Levija cilts meitām.
2 Viņa sieva kļuva grūta un dzemdēja dēlu. Viņa ievēroja, cik jauks tas bija, un noslēpa viņu trīs mēnešus.
3 Bet kad tā redzēja, ka nevar to vairs noslēpt, tad tā viņam pagatavoja šķirstu no niedrēm, notriepa to ar asfaltu un piķi, ielika tanī bērnu un nolika to niedrēs upes krastmalā.
4 Bet viņa māsa nostājās iztālēm, lai novērotu, kas tam notiks.
5 Faraona meita nāca uz upi, lai peldētos, bet viņas draudzenes pastaigājās upes malā. Viņa ieraudzīja šķirstu niedrājā, sūtīja savu aukli un lika to atnest.
6 Kad viņa to atvēra, tā ieraudzīja bērnu, un, lūk: puisēns raudāja. Viņa iežēlojās par to un sacīja: „Tas ir viens no ebrēju bērniem.“
7 Tad vina māsa sacīja faraona meitai: „Vai man iet un ataicināt tev kādu zīdītāju no ebrējietēm, kas tev bērnu var zīdīt?“
8 Faraona meita sacīja viņai: „Ej!“ Un jaunava aizgāja un aicināja bērna māti.
9 Tad faraona meita sacija viņai: „Ņem šo bērnu un zīdi to manā vietā. Es tev par to maksāšu.“ Tad sieviete paņēma bērnu un to zīdīja.
10 Kad bērns bija paaudzies, viņa veda to pie faraona meitas, un tas tai bija par dēlu, un tā to nosauca par Mozu, jo tā sacīja: „Es viņu no ūdens esmu izvilkusi.“
11 Kad Mozus bija pieaudzis, tas reiz izgāja pie saviem tautas brāļiem un noskatījās viņu spaidos. Un viņš redzēja vīru, kas sita kādu ebrēju, viņa cilts brāli.
12 Tad viņš, apraudzījies visapkārt un neviena neredzēdams, nosita ēģiptieti un to apraka smiltis.
13 Nākamajā dienā viņš atkal izgāja un redzēja divus ebrēju vīrus, kas ķildojās. Viņš sacīja vainīgam: „Kāpēc tu sit savu biedru?“
14 Bet tas atcirta: „Kas tevi ir iecēlis mums par pavēlnieku un tiesnesi? Vai tu gribi ari mani nogalināt, kā tu esi nogalinājis to ēģiptieti?“ Un Mozus sabijās un sacija: „Patiesi, šis notikums ir kļuvis zināms.“
15 Ari faraons dzirdēja par šo lietu, viņš meklēja Mozu nogalināt, bet Mozus bēga no faraona un mita Midiana zemē un apmetās pie kādas akas.
16 Bet Midiana priesterim bija septiņas meitas. Tās nāca, smēla ūdeni un pildīja dzirdāmās siles, lai padzirdītu sava tēva aitas.
17 Bet nāca arī gani, un tie padzina viņas; tad Mozus cēlās tām palīgā un padzirdīja viņu aitas.
18 Kad viņas atgriezās pie Reguēla, sava tēva, tas jautāja: „Kā jūs šodien tik drīz esat pārnākušas?“
19 Viņas atbildēja: „Kāds ēģiptietis mūs paglāba no ganu rokām, un viņš mums smeltin smēla ūdeni un dzirdīja mūsu aitas.“
20 Tad viņš sacīja savām meitām: „Kur viņš ir? Kāpēc jūs esat šo vīru pametušas? Aiciniet viņu, lai viņš ēstu ar mums.“
21 Un Mozus bija ar mieru pie tā vīra apmesties, un tas deva savu meitu Ciporu Mozum par sievu.
22 Un viņai piedzima dēls, un viņš nosauca to vārdā Geršoms, jo tas sprieda: „Es esmu kļuvis par viesi svešā zemč.“
23 Pēc ilgāka laika nomira Ēģiptes ķēniņš, un Israēla bērni nopūtās par savām klaušām un brēca, un viņu vaidi par spaidiem nonāca Dieva priekšā.
24 Un Dievs uzklausīja viņu vaidus, un Dievs pieminēja savu derību ar Ābrahāmu, īzāku un ar Jēkabu.
25 Un Dievs uzlūkoja Israēla bērnus, un Dievs ņēma tos vērā.
The Birth of Moses
1 During this time a man from the tribe of Levi married a woman of his own tribe, 2 and she bore him a son. When she saw what a fine baby he was, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could not hide him any longer, she took a basket made of reeds and covered it with tar to make it watertight. She put the baby in it and then placed it in the tall grass at the edge of the river. 4 The baby's sister stood some distance away to see what would happen to him.
5 The king's daughter came down to the river to bathe, while her servants walked along the bank. Suddenly she noticed the basket in the tall grass and sent a slave woman to get it. 6 The princess 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 Then 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 The princess told the woman, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So she took the baby and nursed him. 10 Later, when the child was old enough, she took him to the king's daughter, who adopted him as her own son. She said to herself, “I pulled him out of the water, and so I name him Moses.”
Moses Escapes to Midian
11 When Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his people, the Hebrews, and he saw how they were forced to do hard labor. He even saw an Egyptian kill a Hebrew, one of Moses' own people. 12 Moses looked all around, and when he saw that no one was watching, he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. 13 The next day he went back and saw two Hebrew men fighting. He said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why are you beating up a fellow Hebrew?”
14 The man answered, “Who made you our ruler and judge? Are you going to kill me just as you killed that Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said to himself, “People have found out what I have done.” 15-16 When the king heard about what had happened, he tried to have Moses killed, but Moses fled and went to live in the land of Midian.
One day, when Moses was sitting by a well, seven daughters of Jethro, the priest of Midian, came to draw water and fill the troughs for their father's sheep and goats. 17 But some shepherds drove Jethro's daughters away. Then Moses went to their rescue and watered their animals for them. 18 When they returned to their father, he asked, “Why have you come back so early today?”
19 “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they answered, “and he even drew water for us and watered our animals.”
20 “Where is he?” he asked his daughters. “Why did you leave the man out there? Go and invite him to eat with us.”
21 So Moses decided to live there, and Jethro gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage, 22 who bore him a son. Moses said to himself, “I am a foreigner in this land, and so I name him Gershom.”
23 Years later the king of Egypt died, but the Israelites were still groaning under their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry went up to God, 24 who heard their groaning and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 He saw the slavery of the Israelites and was concerned for them.
