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¶ And a man of the house of Levi went and took to wife a daughter of Levi,

who conceived and gave birth to a son, and seeing that he was beautiful, she hid him three months.

And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes and daubed it with slime and with pitch and put the child in it, and she laid it in the reeds by the river’s brink.

And his sister stood afar off to see what would happen to him.

¶ And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river, and walking with her maidens along by the river’s side, she saw the ark among the reeds; she sent her maid to bring it.

And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and, behold, the babe wept. And having compassion on him, she said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.

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

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

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 when the child grew, she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, for 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 a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

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

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

14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Doest thou intend to kill me as thou killed 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 who came and drew water to fill the troughs to water their father’s sheep.

17 But the pastors came and drove them away. Then Moses stood up and defended them and watered their sheep.

18 And when they returned unto Reuel, their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon today?

19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the pastors and also drew water enough for us and watered the sheep.

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 gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershon, 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 sons of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God from their bondage.

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

25 And God looked upon the sons of Israel, and God recognized them.

The Birth of Moses

Now a man of the tribe of Levi(A) married a Levite woman,(B) and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine(C) child, she hid him for three months.(D) But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus(E) basket[a] for him and coated it with tar and pitch.(F) Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds(G) along the bank of the Nile. His sister(H) stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank.(I) She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.

Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

“Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named(J) him Moses,[b] saying, “I drew(K) him out of the water.”

Moses Flees to Midian

11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people(L) were and watched them at their hard labor.(M) He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?”(N)

14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us?(O) Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”

15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill(P) Moses, but Moses fled(Q) from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian,(R) where he sat down by a well. 16 Now a priest of Midian(S) had seven daughters, and they came to draw water(T) and fill the troughs(U) to water their father’s flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue(V) and watered their flock.(W)

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

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

20 “And where is he?” Reuel asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.”(Y)

21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah(Z) to Moses in marriage. 22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,[c](AA) saying, “I have become a foreigner(AB) in a foreign land.”

23 During that long period,(AC) the king of Egypt died.(AD) The Israelites groaned in their slavery(AE) and cried out, and their cry(AF) for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered(AG) his covenant(AH) with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned(AI) about them.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 2:3 The Hebrew can also mean ark, as in Gen. 6:14.
  2. Exodus 2:10 Moses sounds like the Hebrew for draw out.
  3. Exodus 2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for a foreigner there.