1:17. But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children. 1:18: And the king called for them and said: What is it that you meant to do, that you would save the men children? 1:19. They answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves are skilful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we come to them. 1:20. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong. 1:21. And because the midwives feared God, he built them houses. Because the midwives feared God, etc... The midwives were rewarded, not for their lie, which was a venial sin; but for their fear of God, and their humanity: but this reward was only temporal, in building them houses, that is, in establishing and enriching their families. 1:22. 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. Exodus Chapter 2 Moses is born and exposed on the bank of the river; where he is taken up by the daughter of Pharao, and adopted for her son. He killeth an Egyptian, and fleeth into Madian; where he marrieth a wife. 2:1. After this there went a man of the house of Levi; and took a wife of his own kindred. 2:2. And she conceived, and bore a son: and seeing him a goodly child, hid him three months. 2:3. 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, 2:4. His sister standing afar off, and taking notice what would be done. 2:5. 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, 2:6. 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. 2:7. And the child's sister said to her: Shall I go, and call to thee a Hebrew woman, to nurse the babe? 2:8. She answered: Go. The maid went and called her mother. 2:9. 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. 2:10. And she adopted him for a son, and called him Moses, saying: Because I took him out of the water. Moses... Or Moyses, in the Egyptian tongue, signifies one taken or saved out of the water. 2:11. 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. 2:12. 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.