< Exodus 2 >
1 It was around this time that a man from the tribe of Levi married a woman, also a Levite.
有肋末家族的一個男子娶了肋末家族的一個女人為妻。
2 She became pregnant and had a son. She saw he was a lovely baby, and she hid him for three months.
這女人懷孕生了一個兒子,見他俊美,就把他藏了三個月。
3 But when she couldn't hide him anymore, she got a papyrus basket and covered it with tar and pitch. Then she put her baby in the basket and placed it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.
以後不能再藏了,就拿了一個蒲草筐子,塗上瀝青和石漆,把孩子放在裏面,將筐放在尼羅河邊的蘆葦叢中。
4 His sister waited some distance away, keeping an eye on him.
孩子的姐姐遠遠的站著,想知道孩子究竟怎樣。
5 Then Pharaoh's daughter arrived to bathe in the Nile. Her ladies-in-waiting were walking along the bank of the river. When she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it and bring it to her.
當時法朗的一個公主下到尼羅河邊洗澡,使女們在河邊上徘徊。公主發現蘆葦叢中那個筐子,就吩咐自己的使女將筐子取來。
6 When she opened it she saw the baby boy. He was crying and she felt sorry for him. “This must be one of the Hebrew boys,” she said.
她打開一看,見有一個孩子正在哭涕,就動了可憐他的心說:「這必是一個希伯來人的孩子。」
7 His sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, “Would you like me to go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse him for you?”
孩子的姐姐就對法朗的公主說:「你願意我從希伯來婦女中給你請一個奶媽,為你乳養這個孩子嗎﹖」
8 “Yes, go and do that,” she replied. So the girl went and called the baby's mother to come.
法兩的公主回答說:「你去罷! 」少女便去叫了孩子的母親來。
9 “Take this baby boy and nurse him for me,” she told his mother. “I will pay you myself.” So his mother took him home and nursed him.
法朗的公主對她說:「你將這孩子抱去,為我乳養他,我必給你工錢。」那婦人就接過去,乳養這個孩子。
10 When the boy was older she took him to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son. She called him Moses, because she said, “I pulled him out of the water.”
孩子長大了,那婦人就把他帶到公主那裏;公主遂收他作自己的兒子,給他起名叫梅瑟,說:「因為我從水裏拉出了他。」梅瑟逃往米德楊
11 Later, when Moses had grown up, he went to visit his people, the Hebrews. He saw them doing hard labor. He also saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.
過了許久梅瑟已經長大,有一次出去探望自己的同胞,看見他們作苦工,又見一個埃及人打他的一個同胞希伯來人;
12 He looked all around to make sure no one was watching, and then he killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand.
他向四面一望,見沒有人,便將那埃及人打死,將他埋在沙土中。
13 The following day he went back and he saw two Hebrews fighting with each other. He said to the one at fault, “Why are you beating one of your own people?”
第二天他又出去,見兩個希伯來人打架,就對那無理的一方說:「你為什麼打你同族的人﹖」
14 “Who put you in charge to judge us?” the man replied. “Are you going to kill me like you did the Egyptian?” Moses became frightened at this, and said to himself, “People know what I've done!”
那人回答說:「誰立了你作我們的首領和判官﹖難到你想殺我,像殺那埃及仁一樣嗎﹖」梅瑟就害怕了,心裏想:「那事一定叫人知道了! 」
15 When Pharaoh found out, he tried to have Moses killed, but Moses ran away from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian. One day as he was sitting by a well,
法朗聽說這事,就想殺死梅瑟;而梅瑟卻離開法朗逃走,去了米德楊地,坐在井邊。
16 and the Midianite priest's seven daughters came to fetch water to fill up the troughs so their father's flock could drink.
米德楊的司祭有七個女兒,她們來打水,灌滿水槽,要飲父親的羊群。
17 Some shepherds arrived and chased them off, but Moses intervened and rescued them, and watered their flock.
別的牧童來了,趕走了她們;,梅瑟便起來保護了她們,也飲了她們的羊。
18 When they got home, their father Reuel asked them, “How did you get back so quickly today?”
她們回到父親勒烏爾那裏,父親問她們說:「你們今天為什麼回來的這麼快﹖」
19 “An Egyptian rescued us from some shepherds who attacked us,” they replied. “Then he even fetched water for us so the flock could drink.”
她們回答說:「有一個埃及人救我們擺脫了牧童的手,還給我們打水飲了羊群。」
20 “So where is he?” Reuel asked his daughter. “You didn't just leave him there, did you? Go and invite him to eat with us!”
他對女兒們說:「他在那裏﹖你們為什麼撇下他﹖去請他來吃飯! 」
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who arranged for his daughter Zipporah to marry Moses.
於是梅瑟決定住在那人那裏,那人將自己的女兒漆頗辣給了梅瑟為妻。
22 She had a son, and Moses named him Gershom, for he said, “I'm an exile living in a foreign country.”
她生了一個兒子,梅瑟給他起名叫革爾熊,因為他說:「我在外方作了旅客。」
23 Years later, the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites were still groaning under their hard labor. Their cries for help because of their hardship reached God.
過了很久,埃及王死了。那時以色列子民由於勞苦工作,都嘆息唉號:他們因勞役所發出的求救聲,升到天主面前。
24 God heard their groans, and recalled his agreement with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
天主聽見了他們的哀號,就記起了他與亞巴郎、依撒格和雅各伯所立的盟約。
25 God also looked sympathetically on the Israelites, and was concerned for them.
天主遂眷顧了以色列子民,特別垂念她們。