Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures
A certain man of the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw how beautiful he was, she hid him for three months. When she could hide him no longer, she got a wicker basket for him and caluked it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child into it and placed it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. And his sister stationed herself at a distance, to learn what would befall him.
The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile, while her maidens walked along the Nile. She spied the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to fetch it. When she opened it, she saw that it was a child, a boy crying. She took pity on it and said, "This must be a Hebrew child." Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get you a Hebrew nurse to suckle the child for you?" And Pharaoh's daughter answered, "Yes." So the girl went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will pay your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, who made him her son. She named him Moses, explaining, "I drew him out of the water."
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The Five Books of Moses
Now a man from the house of Levi went and took (to wife) a daughter of Levi.
The woman became pregnant and bore a son.
When she saw him—that he was goodly, she hid him, for three months.
An when she was no longer able to hide him,
she took for him a little-ark of papyrus,
she loamed it with loam and with pitch,
placed the child in it,
and placed it in the reeds by the shore of the Nile.
Now his sister stationed herself far off, to know what would be done to him.
Now Pharaoh's daughter went down to bathe at the Nile,
and her girls were walking along the Nile.
She saw the little-ark among the reeds
and sent her maid, and she fetched it.
She opened (it) and saw him, the child—
here, a boy weeping! She pitied him, and she said:
One of the Hebrews' children is this!
Now his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter:
Shall I go and call a nursing woman from the Hebrews for you, that she may nurse the child for you?
Pharaoh's daughter said to her:
Go!
The maiden went and called the child's mother.
Have this child go with you and nurse him for me,
and I myself will give you your wages.
So the woman took the child and she nursed him.
The child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter,
and he became her son.
She called his name: Moshe/He-Who-Pulls-Out;
she said: For out of the water meshitihu/I-pulled-him. |
New Revised Standard Version
Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.
The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. "This must be one of the Hebrews' children," she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Yes." So the girl went and called the child's mother. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, "because," she said, "I drew him out of the water." |
