< Exode 2 >

1 Un homme de la maison de Lévi avait pris pour femme une fille de Lévi.
And there was a certain man of the tribe of Levi, who took as wife one of the daughters of Levi.
2 Cette femme devint enceinte et enfanta un fils. Elle vit qu’il était beau, et elle le cacha pendant trois mois.
And she conceived, and bore a male child; and having seen that he was fair, they hid him three months.
3 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.
And when they could no longer hide him, his mother took for him an ark, and besmeared it with bitumen, and cast the child into it, and put it in the ooze by the river.
4 La sœur de l’enfant se tint à quelque distance, pour savoir ce qui lui arriverait.
And his sister was watching from a distance, to learn what would happen to him.
5 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.
And the daughter of Pharao came down to the river to bathe; and her maids walked by the river's side, and having seen the ark in the ooze, she sent her maid, and took it up.
6 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!
And having opened it, she sees the babe weeping in the ark: and the daughter of Pharao had compassion on it, and said, This [is one] of the Hebrew's children.
7 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?
And his sister said to the daughter of Pharao, Will you that I call to you a nurse of the Hebrews, and shall she suckle the child for you?
8 Va, lui répondit la fille de Pharaon. Et la jeune fille alla chercher la mère de l’enfant.
And the daughter of Pharao said, Go: and the young woman went, and called the mother of the child.
9 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.
And the daughter of Pharao said to her, Take care of this child, and suckled it for me, and I will give you the wages; and the woman took the child, and suckled it.
10 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.
And when the boy was grown, she brought him to the daughter of Pharao, and he became her son; and she called his name, Moses, saying, I took him out of the water.
11 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.
And it came to pass in that length of time, that Moses having grown, went out to his brethren the sons of Israel: and having noticed their distress, he sees an Egyptian striking a certain Hebrew of his brethren the children of Israel.
12 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.
And having looked round this way and that way, he sees no one; and he struck the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
13 Il sortit le jour suivant; et voici, deux Hébreux se querellaient. Il dit à celui qui avait tort: Pourquoi frappes-tu ton prochain?
And having gone out the second day he sees two Hebrew men fighting; and he says to the injurer, Therefore smite you your neighbor?
14 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.
And he said, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? will you kill me as you yesterday killed the Egyptian? Then Moses was alarmed, and said, If [it be] thus, this matter has become known.
15 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.
And Pharao heard this matter, and sought to kill Moses; and Moses departed from the presence of Pharao, and lived in the land of Madiam; and having come into the land of Madiam, he sat on the well.
16 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.
And the priest of Madiam had seven daughters, feeding the flock of their father Jothor; and they came and drew water until they filled their pitchers, to water the flock of their father Jothor.
17 Les bergers arrivèrent, et les chassèrent. Alors Moïse se leva, prit leur défense, et fit boire leur troupeau.
And the shepherds came, and were driving them away; and Moses rose up and rescued them, and drew water for them, and watered their sheep.
18 Quand elles furent de retour auprès de Réuel, leur père, il dit: Pourquoi revenez-vous si tôt aujourd’hui?
And they came to Raguel their father; and he said to them, Why have you come so quickly today?
19 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.
And they said, An Egyptian delivered us from the shepherds, and drew water for us and watered our sheep.
20 Et il dit à ses filles: Où est-il? Pourquoi avez-vous laissé cet homme? Appelez-le, pour qu’il prenne quelque nourriture.
And he said to his daughters, And where is he? and why have you left the man? call him therefore, that he may eat bread.
21 Moïse se décida à demeurer chez cet homme, qui lui donna pour femme Séphora, sa fille.
And Moses was established with the man, and he gave Sepphora his daughter to Moses to wife.
22 Elle enfanta un fils, qu’il appela du nom de Guerschom, car, dit-il, j’habite un pays étranger.
And the woman conceived and bore a son, and Moses called his name Gersam, saying, I am a sojourner in a strange land.
23 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.
And in those days after a length of time, the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel groaned because of their tasks, and cried, and their cry because of their tasks went up to God.
24 Dieu entendit leurs gémissements, et se souvint de son alliance avec Abraham, Isaac et Jacob.
And God heard their groanings, and God remembered his covenant made with Abraam and Isaac and Jacob.
25 Dieu regarda les enfants d’Israël, et il en eut compassion.
And God looked upon the children of Israel, and was made known to them.

< Exode 2 >