And there went a man of the house of Levi and took a daughter of Levi.
And the wife conceived and bare a son. And when she saw that it was a
proper child, she hid him three months long. And when she could no
longer hide him, she took a basket of bulrushes and daubed it with
slime and pitch, and laid the child therein, and put it in the flags by
the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wete what would
come of it. And the daughter of Pharao came down to the river to wash
herself, and her maidens walked along by the river's side. And when she
saw the basket among the flags, she sent one of her maids and caused it
to be fetched. And when she had opened it she saw the child, and
behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on it and said: it is one
of the Hebrew's children. Then said his sister unto Pharao's daughter:
shall I go and call unto thee a nurse of the Hebrew's women, to nurse
the child? And the maid ran and called the child's mother. Then
Pharao's daughter said unto her. Take this child away and nurse it for
me, and I will reward thee for thy labour. And the woman took the child
and nursed it up. And when the child was grown, she brought it unto
Pharao's daughter, and it was made her son, and she called it Moses,
because (said she) I took him out of the water. And it happened in
these days when Moses was waxed great, that he went out unto his
brethren and looked on their burthens, and spied an Egyptian smiting
one of his brethren an Hebrew. And he looked round about: and when he
saw that there was no man by, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the
sand. And he went out another day: and behold, two Hebrews strove
together. And he said unto him that did the wrong: wherefore smitest
thou thine neighbour? And he answered: who hath made thee a ruler or a
judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the
Egyptian? Then Moses feared and said: of a surety the thing is known.
And Pharao heard of it and went about to slay Moses: but he fled from
Pharao and dwelt in the land of Madian, and he sat down by a well's
side. The priest of Madian had seven daughters which came and drew
water and filled the troughs, for to water their father's sheep. And
the shepherds came and drove them away: But Moses stood up and helped
them and watered their sheep. And when they came to Raguel their
father, he said: how happeneth it that ye are come so soon today? And
they answered: there was an Egyptian that delivered us from the
shepherds, and so drew us water and watered the sheep. And he said unto
his daughters: where is he? why have ye left the man? Go call him that
he may eat bread. And Moses was content to dwell with the man. And he
gave Moses Zephora his daughter which bare a son, and he called him
Gerson: for he said. I have been a stranger in a strange land. [And she
bare yet another son, whom he called Elieser saying: the God of my
father is mine helper, and hath rid me out of the hands of Pharao.] And
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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