Exodus 2
1 It was around this time that a man from the tribe of Levi married a woman, also a Levite.
Un homme de la maison de Lévi avait pris pour femme une fille de Lévi.
2 She became pregnant and had a son. She saw he was a lovely baby, and she hid him for three months.
Cette femme devint enceinte et enfanta un fils. Elle vit qu’il était beau, et elle le cacha pendant trois mois.
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.
Ne pouvant plus le cacher, elle prit une caisse de jonc, qu’elle enduisit de bitume et de poix; elle y mit l’enfant, et le déposa parmi les roseaux, sur le bord du fleuve.
4 His sister waited some distance away, keeping an eye on him.
La sœur de l’enfant se tint à quelque distance, pour savoir ce qui lui arriverait.
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.
La fille de Pharaon descendit au fleuve pour se baigner, et ses compagnes se promenèrent le long du fleuve. Elle aperçut la caisse au milieu des roseaux, et elle envoya sa servante pour la prendre.
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.
Elle l’ouvrit, et vit l’enfant: c’était un petit garçon qui pleurait. Elle en eut pitié, et elle dit: C’est un enfant des Hébreux!
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?”
Alors la sœur de l’enfant dit à la fille de Pharaon: Veux-tu que j’aille te chercher une nourrice parmi les femmes des Hébreux, pour allaiter cet enfant?
8 “Yes, go and do that,” she replied. So the girl went and called the baby's mother to come.
Va, lui répondit la fille de Pharaon. Et la jeune fille alla chercher la mère de l’enfant.
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.
La fille de Pharaon lui dit: Emporte cet enfant, et allaite-le-moi; je te donnerai ton salaire. La femme prit l’enfant, et l’allaita.
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.”
Quand il eut grandi, elle l’amena à la fille de Pharaon, et il fut pour elle comme un fils. Elle lui donna le nom de Moïse, car, dit-elle, je l’ai retiré des eaux.
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.
En ce temps-là, Moïse, devenu grand, se rendit vers ses frères, et fut témoin de leurs pénibles travaux. Il vit un Égyptien qui frappait un Hébreu d’entre ses frères.
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.
Il regarda de côté et d’autre, et, voyant qu’il n’y avait personne, il tua l’Égyptien, et le cacha dans le sable.
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?”
Il sortit le jour suivant; et voici, deux Hébreux se querellaient. Il dit à celui qui avait tort: Pourquoi frappes-tu ton prochain?
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!”
Et cet homme répondit: Qui t’a établi chef et juge sur nous? Penses-tu me tuer, comme tu as tué l’Égyptien? Moïse eut peur, et dit: Certainement la chose est connue.
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,
Pharaon apprit ce qui s’était passé, et il cherchait à faire mourir Moïse. Mais Moïse s’enfuit de devant Pharaon, et il se retira dans le pays de Madian, où il s’arrêta près d’un puits.
16 and the Midianite priest's seven daughters came to fetch water to fill up the troughs so their father's flock could drink.
Le sacrificateur de Madian avait sept filles. Elles vinrent puiser de l’eau, et elles remplirent les auges pour abreuver le troupeau de leur père.
17 Some shepherds arrived and chased them off, but Moses intervened and rescued them, and watered their flock.
Les bergers arrivèrent, et les chassèrent. Alors Moïse se leva, prit leur défense, et fit boire leur troupeau.
18 When they got home, their father Reuel asked them, “How did you get back so quickly today?”
Quand elles furent de retour auprès de Réuel, leur père, il dit: Pourquoi revenez-vous si tôt aujourd’hui?
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.”
Elles répondirent: Un Égyptien nous a délivrées de la main des bergers, et même il nous a puisé de l’eau, et a fait boire le troupeau.
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!”
Et il dit à ses filles: Où est-il? Pourquoi avez-vous laissé cet homme? Appelez-le, pour qu’il prenne quelque nourriture.
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who arranged for his daughter Zipporah to marry Moses.
Moïse se décida à demeurer chez cet homme, qui lui donna pour femme Séphora, sa fille.
22 She had a son, and Moses named him Gershom, for he said, “I'm an exile living in a foreign country.”
Elle enfanta un fils, qu’il appela du nom de Guerschom, car, dit-il, j’habite un pays étranger.
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.
Longtemps après, le roi d’Égypte mourut, et les enfants d’Israël gémissaient encore sous la servitude, et poussaient des cris. Ces cris, que leur arrachait la servitude, montèrent jusqu’à Dieu.
24 God heard their groans, and recalled his agreement with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Dieu entendit leurs gémissements, et se souvint de son alliance avec Abraham, Isaac et Jacob.
25 God also looked sympathetically on the Israelites, and was concerned for them.
Dieu regarda les enfants d’Israël, et il en eut compassion.
