< Exodus 2 >

1 Now a man of the house of Levi married a daughter of Levi,
And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
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 the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she 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 not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with tar 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 at a distance to see what would happen to him.
And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done 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.
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 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.”
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 his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”
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 “Go ahead,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. And the girl went and called the boy’s mother.
And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’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.
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 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 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 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.
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 After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.
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 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 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 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.”
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 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.
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 to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.
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 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: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18 When the daughters returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?
19 “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
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 “So where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.”
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 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
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 Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”
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 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.
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 So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25 God saw the Israelites and took notice.
And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

< Exodus 2 >