Chapter 1
1. These are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in, every man with his household:
2. Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda,
3. Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,
4. Dan, and Nephtali, Gad and Aser.
5. And all the souls that came out of Jacob's thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt.
6. After he was dead, and all his brethren, and all that generation,
7. The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes, and growing exceedingly strong they filled the land.
8. In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not Joseph:
9. And he said to his people: Behold the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we.
10. Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply: and if any war shall rise against us, join with our enemies, and having overcome us, depart out of the land.
11. Therefore he set over them masters of the works, to afflict them with burdens, and they built for Pharao cities of tabernacles, Phithom and Ramesses.
12. But the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied, and increased:
13. And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them:
14. And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth.
15. And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua,
16. Commanding them: When you shall do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery is come: if it be a man child, kill it: if a woman, keep it alive.
17. But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children.
18. And the king called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men children ?
19. They answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves are skillful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we come to them.
20. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong.
21. And because the midwives feared God, he built them houses.
22. Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive.
Chapter 2
1. After this there went a man of the house of Levi; and took a wife of his own kindred.
2. And she conceived, and bore a son; and seeing him a goodly child hid him three months.
3. And when she could hide him no longer, she took a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and pitch: and put the little babe therein, and laid him in the sedges by the river's brink,
4. His sister standing afar off, and taking notice what would be done.
5. And behold the daughter of Pharao came down to wash herself in the river: and her maids walked by the river's brink. And when she saw the basket in the sedges, she sent one of her maids for it: and when it was brought,
6. She opened it and seeing within it an infant crying, having compassion on it she said: This is one of the babes of the Hebrews.
7. And the child's sister said to her Shall I go and call to thee a Hebrew woman, to nurse the babe ?
8. She answered: Go. The maid went and called her mother.
9. And Pharao's daughter said to her. Take this child and nurse him for me: I will give thee thy wages. The woman took, and nursed the child: and when he was grown up, she delivered him to Pharao's daughter.
10. And she adopted him for a son, and called him Moses, saying: Because I took him out of the water.
11. In those days after Moses was grown up, he went out to his brethren: and saw their affliction, and an Egyptian striking one of the Hebrews his brethren.
12. And when he had looked about this way and that way, and saw no one there, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
13. And going out the next day, he saw two Hebrews quarreling: and he said to him that did the wrong: Why strikest thou thy neighbour?
14. But he answered: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge over us: wilt thou kill me, as thou didst yesterday kill the Egyptian? Moses feared, and said: How is this come to be known ?
15. And Pharao heard of this word and sought to kill Moses: but he fled from his sight, and abode in the land of Madian, and he sat down by a well.
16. And the priest of Madian had seven daughters, who came to draw water: and when the troughs were filled, desired to water their father's flocks.
17. And the shepherds came and drove them away: and Moses arose, and defending the maids, watered their sheep.
18. And when they returned to Raguel their father, he said to them: Why are ye come sooner than usual?
19. They answered: A man of Egypt delivered us from the hands of the shepherds: and he drew water also with us, and gave the sheep to drink.
20. But he said: Where is he? why have you let the man go? call him that he may eat bread.
21. And Moses swore that he would dwell with him. And he took Sephora his daughter to wife:
22. And she bore him a son, whom he called Gersam, saying: I have been a stranger in a foreign country. And she bore another, whom he called Eliezer, saying: For the God of my father, my helper hath delivered me out of the hand of Pharao.
23. Now after a long time the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel groaning, cried out because of the works: and their cry went up unto God from the works.
24. And he heard their groaning, and remembered the covenant which he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25. And the Lord looked upon the children of Israel, and he knew them.
