Liber Exodus, 2

1. Egressus est vir de domo Levi et accepit uxorem stirpis suae;

1. Now a man from the house of Levi went and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

2. quae concepit et peperit filium et videns eum elegantem abscondit tribus mensibus.

2. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

3. Cumque iam celare non posset, sumpsit fiscellam scirpeam et linivit eam bitumine ac pice; posuitque intus infantulum et exposuit eum in carecto ripae fluminis,

3. And when she could hide him no longer she took for him a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with bitumen and pitch; and she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds at the river's brink.

4. stante procul sorore eius et considerante eventum rei.

4. And his sister stood at a distance, to know what would be done to him.

5. Ecce autem descendebat filia pharaonis, ut lavaretur in flumine, et puellae eius gradiebantur per crepidinem alvei. Quae cum vidisset fiscellam in papyrione, misit unam e famulabus suis; et allatam

5. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, and her maidens walked beside the river; she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to fetch it.

6. aperiens cernensque in ea parvulum vagientem, miserta eius ait: “De infantibus Hebraeorum est hic”.

6. When she opened it she saw the child; and lo, the babe was crying. She took pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."

7. Cui soror pueri: “Vis, inquit, ut vadam et vocem tibi mulierem Hebraeam, quae nutrire possit tibi infantulum?”.

7. Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?"

8. Respondit: “Vade”. Perrexit puella et vocavit matrem infantis.

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

9. Ad quam locuta filia pharaonis: “Accipe, ait, puerum istum et nutri mihi; ego dabo tibi mercedem tuam”. Suscepit mulier et nutrivit puerum adultumque tradidit filiae pharaonis.

9. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.

10. Quem illa adoptavit in locum filii vocavitque nomen eius Moysen dicens: “Quia de aqua tuli eum”.

10. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son; and she named him Moses, for she said, "Because I drew him out of the water."

11. In diebus illis, postquam creverat, Moyses egressus est ad fratres suos; viditque afflictionem eorum et virum Aegyptium percutientem quendam de Hebraeis fratribus suis.

11. One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.

12. Cumque circumspexisset huc atque illuc et nullum adesse vidisset, percussum Aegyptium abscondit sabulo.

12. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

13. Et egressus die altero conspexit duos Hebraeos rixantes dixitque ei, qui faciebat iniuriam: “Quare percutis proximum tuum?”.

13. When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together; and he said to the man that did the wrong, "Why do you strike your fellow?"

14. Qui respondit: “Quis te constituit principem et iudicem super nos? Num occidere me tu vis, sicut occidisti Aegyptium?”. Timuit Moyses et ait: “Quomodo palam factum est verbum istud?”.

14. He answered, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, and thought, "Surely the thing is known."

15. Audivitque pharao sermonem hunc et quaerebat occidere Moysen. Qui fugiens de conspectu eius moratus est in terra Madian; venit ergo in terram Madian et sedit iuxta puteum.

15. When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh, and stayed in the land of Mid'ian; and he sat down by a well.

16. Erant autem sacerdoti Madian septem filiae, quae venerunt ad hauriendam aquam; et impletis canalibus adaquare cupiebant greges patris sui.

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

17. Supervenere pastores et eiecerunt eas: surrexitque Moyses et, defensis puellis, adaquavit oves earum.

17. The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

18. Quae cum revertissent ad Raguel patrem suum, dixit ad eas: “Cur velocius venistis solito?”.

18. When they came to their father Reu'el, he said, "How is it that you have come so soon today?"

19. Responderunt: “Vir Aegyptius liberavit nos de manu pastorum; insuper et hausit aquam nobis potumque dedit ovibus”.

19. They said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and even drew water for us and watered the flock."

20. At ille: “Ubi est?”, inquit. “Quare dimisistis hominem? Vocate eum, ut comedat panem”.

20. He said to his daughters, "And where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread."

21. Consensit ergo Moyses habitare cum eo accepitque Sephoram filiam eius uxorem.

21. And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zippo'rah.

22. Quae peperit ei filium, quem vocavit Gersam dicens: “Advena sum in terra aliena”.

22. She bore a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land."

23. Post multum vero temporis mortuus est rex Aegypti; et ingemiscentes filii Israel propter opera vociferati sunt, ascenditque clamor eorum ad Deum ab operibus.

23. In the course of those many days the king of Egypt died. And the people of Israel groaned under their bondage, and cried out for help, and their cry under bondage came up to God.

24. Et audivit gemitum eorum ac recordatus est foederis, quod pepigit cum Abraham, Isaac et Iacob;

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

25. et respexit Dominus filios Israel et apparuit eis.

25. And God saw the people of Israel, and God knew their condition.