< Exodus 2 >

1 A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife.
And there was a certain man of the tribe of Levi, who took to wife one of the daughters of Levi.
2 The woman conceived, and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.
And she conceived, and bore a male child; and having seen that he was fair, they hid him three months.
3 When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus box for him and coated it with bitumen and with pitch. And she put the child in it and put it among the rushes by the bank of the river.
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 And his sister stood at a distance, to see what would be done to him.
And his sister was watching from a distance, to learn what would happen to him.
5 Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe at the river. Her maidens walked along by the riverside. She saw the box among the rushes, and sent her handmaid to get it.
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 She opened it, and saw the child, and look, the baby cried. And she had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."
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 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?"
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?
8 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." The maiden went and called the child's mother.
And the daughter of Pharao said, Go: and the young woman went, and called the mother of the child.
9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." The woman took the child, and nursed it.
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.
10 The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, and said, "Because I drew 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 It happened in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brothers, and looked at their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers.
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.
12 He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
And having looked round this way and that way, he sees no one; and he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
13 He went out the second day, and look, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, "Why do you strike your fellow?"
And having gone out the second day he sees two Hebrew men fighting; and he says to the injurer, Wherefore smitest thou thy neighbour?
14 He said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?" Moses was afraid, and said, "Surely this thing is known."
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.
15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.
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.
16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
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 The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and drew water for 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 came to Reuel, their father, he said, "How is it that you have returned so early today?"
And they came to Raguel their father; and he said to them, Why have ye come so quickly to-day?
19 They said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock."
And they said, An Egyptian delivered us from the shepherds, and drew water for us and watered our sheep.
20 He said to his daughters, "Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread."
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.
21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man. And he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter in marriage.
And Moses was established with the man, and he gave Sepphora his daughter to Moses to wife.
22 She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, "I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land."
And the woman conceived and bore a son, and Moses called his name Gersam, saying, I am a sojourner in a strange land.
23 It happened in the course of those many days, that the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.
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 groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
And God heard their groanings, and God remembered his covenant made with Abraam and Isaac and Jacob.
25 God saw the children of Israel, and God took notice.
And God looked upon the children of Israel, and was made known to them.

< Exodus 2 >