Exodus 2
1 Aftir these thingis a man of `the hows of Leuy yede out, and took a wijf of his kyn,
A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife.
2 which conseyuede, and childide a sone. And sche seiy hym wel farynge, and hidde him bi thre monethis.
The woman conceived and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.
3 And whanne sche myyte not hele, thanne sche took a `leep of segge, and bawmede it with tar and pitch, and puttide the yong child with ynne, and puttide hym forth in a `place of spier of the brenke of the flood,
When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.
4 the while his sistir stood afer, and bihelde the bifalling of the thing.
His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him.
5 Lo! forsothe the douytir of Farao cam doun to be waischun in the flood, and hir damysels walkiden bi the brenke of the flood. And whanne sche hadde seyn a leep in the `place of spier, sche sente oon of hir seruauntessis,
Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at the river. Her maidens walked along by the riverside. She saw the basket amongst the reeds, and sent her servant to get it.
6 and sche openyde the leep brouyt to hir, and seiy a litil child wepynge ther ynne. And sche hadde mercy on the child, and seide, It is of the yonge children of Ebrews.
She opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
7 To whom the `sister of the child seide, Wolt thou that Y go, and clepe to thee an Ebrew womman, that may nurische the yong child?
Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”
8 She answeride, Go thou. The damysel yede, and clepide the `modir of the child.
Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” The young woman went and called the child’s mother.
9 To whom `the douytir of Farao spak, and seide, Take thou this child, and nurische to me; Y schal yyue to thee thi mede. The womman took, and nurischide the child, and bitook hym woxun to `the douytir of Farao,
Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” The woman took the child, and nursed it.
10 whom sche purchaside `in to the place of sone; and sche clepide his name Moises, and seide, For Y took hym fro the watir.
The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”
11 In tho daies, aftir that Moises encreesside, he yede out to hise britheren, and seiy the turment of hem, and a man Egipcian smytynge `oon of Ebrews, hise britheren.
In those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers and saw their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers.
12 And whanne he hadde biholdun hidur and thidir, and hadde seyn, that no man was present, he killide the Egipcian, and hidde in soond.
He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
13 And he yede out in another dai, and seiy tweyne Ebrews chidynge, and he seide to hym that dide wrong, Whi smytist thou thi brother?
He went out the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?”
14 Which answeride, Who ordeynede thee prince, ether iuge on vs? Whether thou wolt sle me, as thou killidist yisterdai the Egipcian? Moises dredde, and seide, Hou is this word maad opun?
He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.”
15 And Farao herde this word, and souyte to sle Moyses, which fledde fro his siyt, and dwellide in the lond of Madian, and sat bisidis a pit.
Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.
16 Forsothe seuene douytris weren to the preest of Madian, that camen to drawe watir; and whanne the trouyis weren fillid, thei coueitiden to watere `the flockis of her fadir.
Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
17 Scheepherdis camen aboue, and dreuen hem awei; and Moises roos, and defendide the dameselis; and he watride `the scheep of hem.
The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18 And whanne thei hadden turned ayen to Jetro, her fadir, he seide to hem, Whi camen ye swiftliere than ye weren wont?
When they came to Reuel, their father, he said, “How is it that you have returned so early today?”
19 Thei answeriden, A man of Egipt delyuerede vs fro the hond of scheepherdis; ferthermore and he drow watir with vs, and yaf drynk to the scheep.
They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.”
20 And he seide, Where is that man? whi leften ye the man? clepe ye hym, that he ete breed.
He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.”
21 Therfor Moises swoor, that he wolde dwelle with Jetro; and he took a wijf, Sefora, `the douyter of Jetro.
Moses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter.
22 And sche childide a sone to hym, whom he clepide Gersan, and seide, Y was a comelyng in an alyen lond. Forsothe sche childide an othir sone, whom he clepide Eliezer, and seide, For God of my fadir is myn helpere, and delyuerede me fro the hond of Farao.
She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.”
23 Forsothe aftir myche tyme the kyng of Egipt diede, and the sones of Israel inwardli weiliden for werkis, and crieden, and the cry of hem for werkis stiede to God.
In the course of those many days, the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.
24 And he herde the weilyng of hem, and he hadde mynde of the boond of pees, which he hadde maad with Abraham, Ysaac, and Jacob; and he bihelde the sones of Israel,
God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25 and knewe hem.
God saw the children of Israel, and God understood.
