< Exodus 2 >
1 It was around this time that a man from the tribe of Levi married a woman, also a Levite.
And there was a certain man of the tribe of Levi, who took as wife one of the daughters of Levi.
2 She became pregnant and had a son. She saw he was a lovely baby, and she hid him for three months.
And she conceived, and bore a male child; and having seen that he was fair, they hid him three months.
3 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.
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.
4 His sister waited some distance away, keeping an eye on him.
And his sister was watching from a distance, to learn what would happen to him.
5 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.
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.
6 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.
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.
7 His sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, “Would you like me to go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse him for you?”
And his sister said to the daughter of Pharao, Will you that I call to you a nurse of the Hebrews, and shall she suckle the child for you?
8 “Yes, go and do that,” she replied. So the girl went and called the baby's mother to come.
And the daughter of Pharao said, Go: and the young woman went, and called the mother of the child.
9 “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.
And the daughter of Pharao said to her, Take care of this child, and suckled it for me, and I will give you the wages; and the woman took the child, and suckled it.
10 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.”
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.
11 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.
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 striking a certain Hebrew of his brethren the children of Israel.
12 He looked all around to make sure no one was watching, and then he killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand.
And having looked round this way and that way, he sees no one; and he struck the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
13 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?”
And having gone out the second day he sees two Hebrew men fighting; and he says to the injurer, Therefore smite you your neighbour?
14 “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!”
And he said, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? will you kill me as you yesterday killed the Egyptian? Then Moses was alarmed, and said, If [it be] thus, this matter has become known.
15 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,
And Pharao heard this matter, and sought to kill Moses; and Moses departed from the presence of Pharao, and lived in the land of Madiam; and having come into the land of Madiam, he sat on the well.
16 and the Midianite priest's seven daughters came to fetch water to fill up the troughs so their father's flock could drink.
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.
17 Some shepherds arrived and chased them off, but Moses intervened and rescued them, and watered their flock.
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.
18 When they got home, their father Reuel asked them, “How did you get back so quickly today?”
And they came to Raguel their father; and he said to them, Why have you come so quickly today?
19 “An Egyptian rescued us from some shepherds who attacked us,” they replied. “Then he even fetched water for us so the flock could drink.”
And they said, An Egyptian delivered us from the shepherds, and drew water for us and watered our sheep.
20 “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!”
And he said to his daughters, And where is he? and why have you left the man? call him therefore, that he may eat bread.
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who arranged for his daughter Zipporah to marry Moses.
And Moses was established with the man, and he gave Sepphora his daughter to Moses to wife.
22 She had a son, and Moses named him Gershom, for he said, “I'm an exile living in a foreign country.”
And the woman conceived and bore a son, and Moses called his name Gersam, saying, I am a sojourner in a strange land.
23 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.
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.
24 God heard their groans, and recalled his agreement with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
And God heard their groanings, and God remembered his covenant made with Abraam and Isaac and Jacob.
25 God also looked sympathetically on the Israelites, and was concerned for them.
And God looked upon the children of Israel, and was made known to them.