1På den tid var der en familie, hvor både manden og konen var fra Levis stamme.2Konen blev gravid og fødte en søn, og da hun så, hvor dejlig drengen var, skjulte hun ham de tre første måneder.3Da hun ikke længere kunne skjule barnet, lavede hun en kurv af papyrusrør og gjorde den vandtæt med beg og tjære. Så lagde hun barnet i kurven og satte den ud mellem sivene ved Nilens bred.4Drengens storesøster gemte sig i nærheden for at se, hvad der ville ske med ham.5Kort efter kom en af Faraos døtre ned til Nilen for at bade. Imens gik hendes hofdamer langs flodens bred. Da prinsessen fik øje på kurven mellem sivene, sendte hun en af hofdamerne hen for at hente den.6Da hun åbnede kurven, så hun den lille dreng, som lå og græd, og hans gråd rørte hende dybt. „Det må være en af de hebræiske drenge!” udbrød hun.7Så trådte drengens søster frem og spurgte prinsessen: „Skal jeg få fat i en hebræisk kvinde, der kan amme barnet for dig?”8„Ja, gør det!” svarede prinsessen. Så skyndte pigen sig hjem og hentede sin mor.9„Tag dette barn med hjem og pas ham for mig,” sagde prinsessen til moderen. „Jeg skal nok betale dig for det.” Så tog moderen barnet med hjem og passede ham.10Nogle år senere, da drengen var blevet ældre, bragte moderen ham tilbage til prinsessen, som adopterede ham. Hun gav ham navnet Moses,[1] for hun sagde: „Jeg trak ham op af vandet.”
Moses flygter til Midjans land
11Mange år senere, da Moses var blevet voksen, gik han en dag ud for at se til sine israelitiske landsmænd. Han så, hvor hårdt de blev tvunget til at arbejde. Han så også, hvordan en egypter gennembankede en af de hebræiske slaver—en af hans egne landsmænd!12Efter at have set sig om til alle sider for at være sikker på, at der ikke var nogen vidner, slog Moses egypteren ihjel og skjulte ham i sandet.13Næste dag, da han igen gik derud, så han to hebræere i slagsmål. „Hold op med det!” råbte han til ham, der havde startet kampen, „du slår jo en af dine egne landsmænd!”14„Hvad bilder du dig ind?” vrissede urostifteren. „Hvem har sat dig til at dømme os imellem og være vores leder? Du vil måske slå mig ihjel, ligesom du i går slog egypteren ihjel?” Da blev Moses bange, for han var klar over, at alle nu vidste, hvad han havde gjort.15Da Farao hørte om det, gav han ordre til, at Moses skulle arresteres og henrettes. Men Moses flygtede til Midjans land,[2] hvor han satte sig ved en brønd. (1.Mos 25,2)16Der var en præst i Midjan, som havde syv døtre. De kom nu for at hente vand og fylde vandtrugene, så deres fars får kunne drikke.17Samtidig kom nogle hyrder til brønden, som ville jage pigerne væk, men Moses lagde sig imellem og hjalp dem. Han trak også vand op til deres får.18Da pigerne kom hjem til deres far, Reuel, udbrød han: „I kommer tidligt hjem i dag! Hvordan kunne I give fårene vand så hurtigt?”19„En egypter hjalp os mod hyrderne,” forklarede de. „Og han trak endda vand op fra brønden til fårene!”20„Hvor er han nu?” spurgte faderen. „I lod ham vel ikke bare blive stående ude ved brønden? Inviter ham til at spise sammen med os.”21Moses tog imod invitationen og slog sig ned hos familien. Efter nogen tid gav Reuel ham en af sine døtre, Zippora, til kone.22Hun fødte en dreng, som Moses kaldte Gershom,[3] for—som han sagde: „Jeg bor jo som udlænding i et fremmed land.”23Nogen tid efter døde den egyptiske konge, men israelitterne stønnede stadig under det hårde slavearbejde. De råbte i fortvivlelse til Gud,24og han hørte deres klage. Han havde jo givet sit løfte om velsignelse og hjælp til Abraham, Isak og Jakob.25Gud så på israelitternes situation og havde dyb medfølelse med dem.
1Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. (2.Mos 6,20; 4.Mos 26,59; 1.Krøn 23,14)2The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. (Ap G 7,20; Heb 11,23)3When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes[1] and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. (2.Mos 2,5; Es 19,6)4And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. (2.Mos 15,20; 4.Mos 26,59)5Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it.6When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”8And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.9And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.10When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”[2] (2.Sam 22,17; Salm 18,16; Ap G 7,21; Heb 11,24)
Moses Flees to Midian
11One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.[3] (2.Mos 1,11; Ap G 7,23; Heb 11,24)12He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. (Ap G 7,24)13When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” (Ap G 7,23)14He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” (Luk 12,14)15When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well. (1.Mos 24,11; 1.Mos 29,2; Ap G 7,29; Heb 11,27)16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. (1.Mos 24,11; 1.Mos 29,10; 2.Mos 3,1; 1.Sam 9,11)17The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. (1.Mos 29,10)18When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” (2.Mos 3,1; 2.Mos 4,18; 2.Mos 18,1; 2.Mos 18,5; 2.Mos 18,9; 2.Mos 18,12; 4.Mos 10,29)19They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” (2.Mos 2,17)20He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” (1.Mos 31,54; 1.Mos 43,25)21And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. (2.Mos 4,25; 2.Mos 18,2)22She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner[4] in a foreign land.” (2.Mos 18,3; Ap G 7,29; Heb 11,13)