Chapter 02 - Moses fled
[1] And there went a man (of the house of Levi), and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
[2] And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
[3] And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
[4] And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
[5] And the daughter (of Pharaoh) came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
[6] And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said,
this is one of the Hebrews' children.
[7] Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter,
Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
[8] And Pharaoh's daughter said to her,
Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.
[9] And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her,
Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.
And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
[10] And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said,
because I drew him out of the water.[1]
[11] And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
[12] And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
[13] And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong,
wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
[14] And he said,
who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian?
And Moses feared, and said,
surely this thing is known.
[15] Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face (of Pharaoh), and dwelt in the land (of Midian): and he sat down by a well.
[16] Now the priest (of Midian) had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
[17] And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
[18] And when they came to Reuel (their father), he said,
How is it that ye are come so soon to day?
[19] And they said,
An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.
[20] And he said unto his daughters,
and where is he? Why is it that ye have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.
[21] And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah (his daughter).
[22] And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said,
I have been a stranger in a strange land.
[23] And it came to pass in process of time, that the king (of Egypt) died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
[24] And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
[25] And God looked upon the children (of Israel), and God had respect unto them.
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[1] Read: Book of Jasher chapter 68