Exodus 2
1 And there was a certain man of the tribe of Levi, who took to wife one of the daughters of Levi.
It was around this time that a man from the tribe of Levi married a woman, also a Levite.
2 And she conceived, and bore a male child; and having seen that he was fair, they hid him 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 they could no longer hide him, his mother took for him an ark, and besmeared it with bitumen, and cast the child into it, and put it in the ooze by the river.
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 was watching from a distance, to learn what would happen to him.
His sister waited some distance away, keeping an eye on him.
5 And the daughter of Pharao came down to the river to bathe; and her maids walked by the river's side, and having seen the ark in the ooze, she sent her maid, and took it up.
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 having opened it, she sees the babe weeping in the ark: and the daughter of Pharao had compassion on it, and said, This [is one] of the Hebrew's 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 And his sister said to the daughter of Pharao, Wilt thou that I call to thee a nurse of the Hebrews, and shall she suckle the child for thee?
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 the daughter of Pharao said, Go: and the young woman went, and called the mother of the child.
“Yes, go and do that,” she replied. So the girl went and called the baby's mother to come.
9 And the daughter of Pharao said to her, Take care of this child, and suckled it for me, and I will give thee the wages; and the woman took the child, and suckled it.
“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 boy was grown, she brought him to the daughter of Pharao, and he became her son; and she called his name, Moses, saying, 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 And it came to pass in that length of time, that Moses having grown, went out to his brethren the sons of Israel: and having noticed their distress, he sees an Egyptian smiting a certain Hebrew of his brethren the children of Israel.
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 having looked round this way and that way, he sees no one; and he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the 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 having gone out the second day he sees two Hebrew men fighting; and he says to the injurer, Wherefore smitest thou thy neighbour?
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 thee a ruler and a judge over us? wilt thou slay me as thou yesterday slewest the Egyptian? Then Moses was alarmed, and said, If [it be] thus, this matter has become known.
“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 And Pharao heard this matter, and sought to slay Moses; and Moses departed from the presence of Pharao, and dwelt in the land of Madiam; and having come into the land of Madiam, he sat on the well.
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 And the priest of Madiam had seven daughters, feeding the flock of their father Jothor; and they came and drew water until they filled their pitchers, to water the flock of their father Jothor.
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 shepherds came, and were driving them away; and Moses rose up and rescued them, and drew water for them, and watered their sheep.
Some shepherds arrived and chased them off, but Moses intervened and rescued them, and watered their flock.
18 And they came to Raguel their father; and he said to them, Why have ye come so quickly to-day?
When they got home, their father Reuel asked them, “How did you get back so quickly today?”
19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us from the shepherds, and drew water for us and watered our sheep.
“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, And where is he? and why have ye left the man? call him therefore, that he may eat bread.
“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 established with the man, and he gave Sepphora his daughter to Moses to wife.
Moses agreed to stay with the man, who arranged for his daughter Zipporah to marry Moses.
22 And the woman conceived and bore a son, and Moses called his name Gersam, saying, I am a sojourner 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 And in those days after a length of time, the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel groaned because of their tasks, and cried, and their cry because of their tasks went up to 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 God heard their groanings, and God remembered his covenant made with Abraam and Isaac and Jacob.
God heard their groans, and recalled his agreement with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and was made known to them.
God also looked sympathetically on the Israelites, and was concerned for them.
