Exodus 2
1 Now a man of the house of Levi took as his wife a daughter of Levi.
It was around this time that a man from the tribe of Levi married a woman, also a Levite.
2 And she became with child and gave birth to a Son; and when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she kept him secretly for three months.
She became pregnant and had a son. She saw he was a lovely baby, and she hid him for three months.
3 And when she was no longer able to keep him secret, she made him a basket out of the stems of water-plants, pasting sticky earth over it to keep the water out; and placing the baby in it she put it among the plants by the edge of the Nile.
But when she couldn't hide him anymore, she got a papyrus basket and covered it with tar and pitch. Then she put her baby in the basket and placed it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.
4 And his sister took her place at a distance to see what would become of him.
His sister waited some distance away, keeping an eye on him.
5 Now Pharaoh's daughter came down to the Nile to take a bath, while her women were walking by the riverside; and she saw the basket among the river-plants, and sent her servant-girl to get it.
Then Pharaoh's daughter arrived to bathe in the Nile. Her ladies-in-waiting were walking along the bank of the river. When she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it and bring it to her.
6 And opening it, she saw the child, and he was crying. And she had pity on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
When she opened it she saw the baby boy. He was crying and she felt sorry for him. “This must be one of the Hebrew boys,” she said.
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, May I go and get you one of the Hebrew women to give him the breast?
His sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, “Would you like me to go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse him for you?”
8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the girl went and got the child's mother.
“Yes, go and do that,” she replied. So the girl went and called the baby's mother to come.
9 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Take the child away and give it milk for me, and I will give you payment. And the woman took the child and gave it milk at her breast.
“Take this baby boy and nurse him for me,” she told his mother. “I will pay you myself.” So his mother took him home and nursed him.
10 And when the child was older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son, and she gave him the name Moses, Because, she said, I took him out of the water.
When the boy was older she took him to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son. She called him Moses, because she said, “I pulled him out of the water.”
11 Now when Moses had become a man, one day he went out to his people and saw how hard their work was; and he saw an Egyptian giving blows to a Hebrew, one of his people.
Later, when Moses had grown up, he went to visit his people, the Hebrews. He saw them doing hard labor. He also saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.
12 And turning this way and that, and seeing no one, he put the Egyptian to death, covering his body with sand.
He looked all around to make sure no one was watching, and then he killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand.
13 And he went out the day after and saw two of the Hebrews fighting: and he said to him who was in the wrong, Why are you fighting your brother?
The following day he went back and he saw two Hebrews fighting with each other. He said to the one at fault, “Why are you beating one of your own people?”
14 And he said, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? are you going to put me to death as you did the Egyptian? And Moses was in fear, and said, It is clear that the thing has come to light.
“Who put you in charge to judge us?” the man replied. “Are you going to kill me like you did the Egyptian?” Moses became frightened at this, and said to himself, “People know what I've done!”
15 Now when Pharaoh had news of this, he would have put Moses to death. But Moses went in flight from Pharaoh into the land of Midian: and he took his seat by a water-spring.
When Pharaoh found out, he tried to have Moses killed, but Moses ran away from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian. One day as he was sitting by a well,
16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came to get water for their father's flock.
and the Midianite priest's seven daughters came to fetch water to fill up the troughs so their father's flock could drink.
17 And the keepers of the sheep came up and were driving them away; but Moses got up and came to their help, watering their flock for them.
Some shepherds arrived and chased them off, but Moses intervened and rescued them, and watered their flock.
18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that you have come back so quickly today?
When they got home, their father Reuel asked them, “How did you get back so quickly today?”
19 And they said, An Egyptian came to our help against the keepers of sheep and got water for us and gave it to the flock.
“An Egyptian rescued us from some shepherds who attacked us,” they replied. “Then he even fetched water for us so the flock could drink.”
20 And he said to his daughters, Where is he? why have you let the man go? make him come in and give him a meal.
“So where is he?” Reuel asked his daughter. “You didn't just leave him there, did you? Go and invite him to eat with us!”
21 And Moses was happy to go on living with the man; and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.
Moses agreed to stay with the man, who arranged for his daughter Zipporah to marry Moses.
22 And she gave birth to a son, to whom he gave the name Gershom: for he said, I have been living in a strange land.
She had a son, and Moses named him Gershom, for he said, “I'm an exile living in a foreign country.”
23 Now after a long time the king of Egypt came to his end: and the children of Israel were crying in their grief under the weight of their work, and their cry for help came to the ears of God.
Years later, the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites were still groaning under their hard labor. Their cries for help because of their hardship reached God.
24 And at the sound of their weeping the agreement which God had made with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob came to his mind.
God heard their groans, and recalled his agreement with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25 And God's eyes were turned to the children of Israel and he gave them the knowledge of himself.
God also looked sympathetically on the Israelites, and was concerned for them.
