Exodus · Chapter 2

[ edit] Aftir þis ȝede out a man of þe hows of Leuy, and tok a wijf of his lynage, þat conceyuede, and bar a child, and, ſeynge hym ſhaply, hydde hym þre moneþis. And whanne he myȝte hide hym no lenger, he tok a ionket of reſſhen, and glewide it wiþe glewiſhe cley, and wiþ picche, and putte þe litil faunt wiþ ynne, and ſette out hym in þe flaggi place of þe brinke of þe flode, his ſiſter ſtondynge afer, and biholdynge þe auenture of þe þing. And, loo! þe douȝter of Pharao deſcendide for to be waſſhid in þe flode, and hir mayden ſeruauntis ȝeden bi þe brynke of þe flode.

Þe which, whanne ſhe hadde ſeen þe ionket in þe growyng place of reſſhes, ſente oon of hir mayden ſeruauntis, and, it brouȝte forþ, opnynge and biholdynge in it a litil child wepynge, hauynge rewþ of it, ſeiþ, Of þe children of Ebrews he is. To whom þe ſiſter of þe child, Wolt þow, ſhe ſeiþ, þat Y go, and clepe to þee a womman of Ebrew, þat may noriſhe þe child? She anſwerde, Go. Þe mayden child ȝede, and clepide hir moder. To whom ſpak þe dowȝtir of Pharao, Tak, ſhe ſeide, þis child, and noriſch to me, and Y ſhal ȝyue to þee þi mede.

Þe womman tok, and noriſſhide þe child, and ful waxen tok to þe dowȝter of Pharao, whom ſhe clepide to hir in ſteede of a ſone; and ſhe clepide his name Moyſes, ſeiynge, For of þe water Y tok hym. In þilke daies, after Moyſes was waxen, goon out to his breþeren, ſawȝ þe tourmentyng of hem, and a man of Egipte ſmytynge oon of þe Ebrews, his briþeren. And whanne he hadde beholdun al abowt hider and þider, and no man he hadde ſeen to be nyȝ, þe Egipcien ſmytun he hidde in þe ſoonde. And goon out anoþer day, he bihelde two Ebrews chidynge, and he ſeide to hym þat dyde þe wrong, Whi ſmytiſt þow þi broþer? Þe which anſwerde, Who ordeynede þee prince and domeſman vpon vs?

Wheþer þow wole ſlee me, as þow ſlewe ȝiſtirday þe Egipcien? Moyſes dradde, and ſeiþ, What manere is maad opyn þis word? And Pharao herde þis word, and ſouȝte to ſlee Moyſes, þe which fleynge fro hys ſiȝt, dwelte in þe loond of Madyan, and ſat biſidis a pitt. Forſoþe þere weren to þe preeſt of Madian ſeuen douȝtres, þe whiche comen to drawe watir; and, þe water goters fillid, þei coueytiden to water þe flok of hyr fader. Þere ouercamen ſhepherdes, and þrewen hem out; and Moyſes aroos, and, þe mayden children defendid, he watride her ſheep. Þe whiche, whanne þei were turnyd aȝen to Jetro, her fader, he ſeide to hem, Whi ben ȝe comen ſwifter þan ȝe ben wonte?

Þei anſwerden, A man of Egipte haþ delyuered vs fro þe hoond of þe ſhepherdis; alſo and he haþ drawun water wiþ vs, and ȝyue drynke to þe ſheip. And he, Where is he? he ſeiþ, whi han ȝe laft þe man? clepe ȝe hym, þat he eete breed. Þan Moyſes ſwere, þat he ſhulde dwelle wiþ hym; and he tok a wijf, Sephoram, þe douȝter of hym. Þe which bar to hym a ſone, þat he clepide Gerſan, ſeiynge, A comlyng Y was in a ſtraunge loond. And anoþer forſoþe ſhe bar, whom he clepide Elieȝer, ſeiynge, ſoþe þe God of my fader is myn helper, and haþ delyuered me fro þe hoond of Pharao.

After myche forſoþe of tyme died þe kyng of Egipte, and inwardly weilynge þe ſones of Yrael for þe werkis, crieden out, and þe crye of hem to God of her werkis ſteyde vp. And he herde þe weilyng of hem, and was recordid of þe boond of pees, þat he couenauntide wiþ Abraham, Yſaac, and Jacob; and he bihelde þe children of Yrael, and knewe hem.