Page:The Holy Bible Vol 1 (Thomson).djvu/101

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Ch. III.
EXODUS.

Whereupon looking about on every side and seeing no body he smote the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. And going out the next day he saw two Hebrew men quarrelling and said to him who was in the wrong, Why dost thou beat thy neighbour? To which he replied, Who made thee a ruler or a judge over us? Dost thou mean to kill me, as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday? Thereupon Moses was alarmed and said, Is the thing become so public?

Now when Pharao heard of this deed he sought to slay Moses, but he withdrew from the presence of Pharao and took up his abode in the land of Madiam. When he came to the land of Madiam he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Madiam had seven daughters who tended the flocks of their father Jothor. And they having come to the well began to draw water to fill the troughs that they might water the flocks of their father Jothor, and the shepherds came and drove them away. Upon which Moses arose and protected them and drew water for them and watered their flocks. And when they came to their father Raguel, he said to them. Why have you come so soon to-day? To which they replied, An Egyptian protected us from the shepherds and drew for us and watered our flocks. And he said to his daughters. And where is he? Why did you leave the man behind? Therefore call him that he may eat bread. So Moses dwelt with the man; and he gave him his daughter Sepphora to be his wife. And his wife conceived and bore him a son; And Moses called his name Gersam, saying, Because I am a sojourner in a strange land.

And after those many years the king of Egypt died and the Israelites groaned under their labours and raised a loud out cry; and their cry on account of their labours ascended up to God. And God heard their groans. And God remembered his covenant which he had made with Abraham, Isaak and Jacob. And God looked upon the Israelites and was made known to them.

III. Now when Moses was feeding the flocks of Jothor his father in law the priest of Madiam he led them below the wilderness and came to the mountain Choreb. And an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a fire blazing out of a bush. And when he saw that the bush blazed with fire, but was not con--