¹ 有一個利未家的人娶了一個利未女子為妻。

² 那女人懷孕，生一個兒子，見他俊美，就藏了他三個月，

³ 後來不能再藏，就取了一個蒲草箱，抹上石漆和石油，將孩子放在裡頭，把箱子擱在河邊的蘆荻中。

⁴ 孩子的姊姊遠遠站著，要知道他究竟怎麼樣。

⁵ 法老的女兒來到河邊洗澡，他的使女們在河邊行走。他看見箱子在蘆荻中，就打發一個婢女拿來。

⁶ 他打開箱子，看見那孩子。孩子哭了，他就可憐他，說：「這是希伯來人的一個孩子。」

⁷ 孩子的姊姊對法老的女兒說：「我去在希伯來婦人中叫一個奶媽來，為你奶這孩子，可以不可以？」

⁸ 法老的女兒說：「可以。」童女就去叫了孩子的母親來。

⁹ 法老的女兒對他說：「你把這孩子抱去，為我奶他，我必給你工價。」婦人就抱了孩子去奶他。

¹⁰ 孩子漸長，婦人把他帶到法老的女兒那裡，就作了他的兒子。他給孩子起名叫摩西，意思說：因我把他從水裡拉出來。

¹¹ 後來，摩西長大，他出去到他弟兄那裡，看他們的重擔，見一個埃及人打希伯來人的一個弟兄。

¹² 他左右觀看，見沒有人，就把埃及人打死了，藏在沙土裡。

¹³ 第二天他出去，見有兩個希伯來人爭鬥，就對那欺負人的說：「你為甚麼打你同族的人呢？」

¹⁴ 那人說：「誰立你作我們的首領和審判官呢？難道你要殺我，像殺那埃及人麼？」摩西便懼怕，說：「這事必是被人知道了。」

¹⁵ 法老聽見這事，就想殺摩西，但摩西躲避法老，逃往米甸地居住。

¹⁶ 一日，他在井旁坐下。米甸的祭司有七個女兒；他們來打水，打滿了槽，要飲父親的群羊。

¹⁷ 有牧羊的人來，把他們趕走了，摩西卻起來幫助他們，又飲了他們的群羊。

¹⁸ 他們來到父親流珥那裡；他說：「今日你們為何來得這麼快呢？」

¹⁹ 他們說：「有一個埃及人救我們脫離牧羊人的手，並且為我們打水飲了群羊。」

²⁰ 他對女兒們說：「那個人在那裡？你們為甚麼撇下他呢？你們去請他來吃飯。」

²¹ 摩西甘心和那人同住；那人把他的女兒西坡拉給摩西為妻。

²² 西坡拉生了一個兒子，摩西給他起名叫革舜，意思說：「因我在外邦作了寄居的。」

²³ 過了多年，埃及王死了。以色列人因做苦工，就歎息哀求，他們的哀聲達於神。

²⁴ 神聽見他們的哀聲，就記念他與亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各所立的約。

²⁵ 神看顧以色列人，也知道他們的苦情。

¹ Yahweh said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided a king for myself among his sons."

² Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." Yahweh said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.

³ Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint to me him whom I name to you."

⁴ Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?"

⁵ He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

⁶ It happened, when they had come, that he looked at Eliab, and said, "Surely Yahweh's anointed is before him."

⁷ But Yahweh said to Samuel, "Don't look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for [Yahweh sees] not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart."

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has Yahweh chosen this one."

⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, "Neither has Yahweh chosen this one."

¹⁰ Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, "Yahweh has not chosen these."

¹¹ Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your children here?" He said, "There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is keeping the sheep." Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he comes here."

¹² He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful face, and goodly to look on. Yahweh said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he."