Exodus 2

1 Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,

2 and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.

3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a papyrus basket and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in the basket and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.

4 And his sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

5 Soon the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in the Nile, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. And when she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to retrieve it.

6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the little boy was crying. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew children.”

7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”

8 “Go ahead,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. And the girl went and called the boy’s mother.

9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the boy and nursed him.

10 When the child had grown older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses and explained, “I drew him out of the water.”

11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.

12 After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.

13 The next day Moses went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your companion?”

14 But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known.”

15 When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well.

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.

17 And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock.

18 When the daughters returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”

19 “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”

20 “So where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.”

21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.

22 And she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”

23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.

24 So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

25 God saw the Israelites and took notice.

1 ¶ And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took [to wife] a daughter of Levi.

2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he [was a] goodly [child], she hid him three months.

3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid [it] in the flags by the river's brink.

4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

5 ¶ And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash [herself] at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

6 And when she had opened [it], she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This [is one] of the Hebrews' children.

7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.

9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give [thee] thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.

10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

11 ¶ And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.

12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that [there was] no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?

14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

16 ¶ Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew [water], and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How [is it that] ye are come so soon to day?

19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew [water] enough for us, and watered the flock.

20 And he said unto his daughters, And where [is] he? why [is] it [that] ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.

21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

22 And she bare [him] a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

23 ¶ And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto [them].

1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took a daughter of Levi.

2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son. And when she saw that it was a fine child, she hid him three months.

3 And when she could hide him no longer, she made a little box of reed, and glued it together with clay and pitch, and put the child therein, and laid him in the reeds by the riverside.

4 But his sister stood afar off, to know how he was.

5 And Pharaoh's daughter went down to bathe in the water, and her maidens walked by the brink of the water. And when she saw the box in the reeds, she sent her maid to fetch it.

6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child; and, behold, the babe wept. And she mourned, and said, There is one of the children of Egypt.

7 And his sister said unto Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call one of the women of Egypt that suckle, that she may suckle thy young child?

8 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Go thy way. And the damsel went and called the mother of the child.

9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take the young child, and suckle it, and I will reward thee. And the woman took the child, and suckled it.

10 And when the child was grown, she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son; and she called his name Moses; for she said: I drew him out of the water.

11 In those days, when Moses was grown up, he went out unto his brethren, and saw their burden, and perceived that an Egyptian smote one of his brethren the children of Egypt.

12 And he turned to and fro, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and buried him in the sand.

13 And the next day he went out, and saw two men of the Jews quarrelling together: and he said unto the unjust man: Why smitest thou thy neighbour?

14 And he said, Who made thee ruler or judge over us? wilt thou slay me also, as thou slewest the Egyptian? And Moses was afraid, and said, How is this thing spoken?

15 And it came to pass before Pharaoh, that he sought Moses to slay him. And Moses fled from Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian, and dwelt by a well.

16 And the priest that was in Midian had seven daughters, which came to draw water, and filled the gutters to water their father's sheep.

17 And the shepherds came, and thrust them away. But Moses arose, and helped them, and watered their sheep.

18 And when they were come to Reguel their father, he said, How came ye so soon this day?

19 And they said: An Egyptian man delivered us from the shepherds, and drew us, and watered the sheep.

20 And he said unto his daughters: Where is he? Why have ye left the man, that ye invited him not to eat with us?

21 And Moses consented to abide with the man. And he gave unto Moses his daughter Ziporah.

22 And she bare a son, and called his name Gershom: for he said: I am become a stranger in a strange land. (And she bare another son, and he called his name Eliezer, and said, The God of my father is my helper, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Pharaoh.)

23 And after a long time the king died in Egypt. And the children of Israel groaned over their work, and cried out; and their crying over their work came before God.

24 And God heard their lamentations, and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

25 And he looked, and took care of them.