Exodus 2
1 Now a man of the house of Levi married a daughter of Levi,
After this there went a man of the house of Levi; and took a wife of his own kindred.
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.
And she conceived, and bore a son; and seeing him a goodly child hid him 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.
And when she could hide him no longer, she took a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and pitch: and put the little babe therein, and laid him in the sedges by the river’s brink,
4 And his sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
His sister standing afar off, and taking notice what would be done.
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.
And behold the daughter of Pharao came down to wash herself in the river: and her maids walked by the river’s brink. And when she saw the basket in the sedges, she sent one of her maids for it: and when it was brought,
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.”
She opened it and seeing within it an infant crying, having compassion on it she said: This is one of the babes of the Hebrews.
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?”
And the child’s sister said to her Shall I go and call to thee a Hebrew woman, to nurse the babe?
8 “Go ahead,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. And the girl went and called the boy’s mother.
She answered: Go. The maid went and called her 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.
And Pharao’s daughter said to her. Take this child and nurse him for me: I will give thee thy wages. The woman took, and nursed the child: and when he was grown up, she delivered him to Pharao’s daughter.
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.”
And she adopted him for a son, and called him Moses, saying: Because I took 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.
In those days after Moses was grown up, he went out to his brethren: and saw their affliction, and an Egyptian striking one of the Hebrews his brethren.
12 After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.
And when he had looked about this way and that way, and saw no one there, he slew the Egyptian and hid him 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?”
And going out the next day, he saw two Hebrews quarrelling: and he said to him that did the wrong: Why strikest thou thy neighbour?
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.”
But he answered: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge over us? Wilt thou kill me, as thou didst yesterday kill the Egyptian? Moses feared, and said: How is this come to be 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.
And Pharao heard of this word and sought to kill Moses: but he fled from his sight, and abode in the land of Madian, and he sat down by 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.
And the priest of Madian had seven daughters, who came to draw water: and when the troughs were filled, desired to water their father’s flocks.
17 And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock.
And the shepherds came and drove them away: and Moses arose, and defending the maids, watered their sheep.
18 When the daughters returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
And when they returned to Raguel their father, he said to them: Why are ye come sooner than usual?
19 “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
They answered: A man of Egypt delivered us from the hands of the shepherds: and he drew water also with us, and gave the sheep to drink.
20 “So where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.”
But he said: Where is he? why have you let the man go? call him that he may eat bread.
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
And Moses swore that he would dwell with him. And he took Sephora his daughter to wife:
22 And she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”
And she bore him a son, whom he called Gersam, saying: I have been a stranger in a foreign country. And she bore another, whom he called Eliezer, saying: For the God of my father, my helper hath delivered me out of the hand of Pharao.
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.
Now after a long time the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel groaning, cried out because of the works: and their cry went up unto God from the works.
24 So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
And he heard their groaning, and remembered the covenant which he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25 God saw the Israelites and took notice.
And the Lord looked upon the children of Israel, and he knew them.
