Exodus 2

The Birth of Moses

1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman.2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushest and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank.4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it.6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity 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 you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?"8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." So the girl went and called the child's mother.9 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.10 When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, "Because," she said, "I drew him out of the water."t

Moses Flees to Midian

11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.t12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, "Why do you strike your companion?"14 He answered, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, and thought, "Surely the thing is known."15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.

16 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 The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock.18 When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, "How is it that you have come home so soon today?"19 They said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock."20 He said to his daughters, "Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread."21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah.22 She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, "I have been a sojournert in a foreign land."

God Hears Israel's Groaning

23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

Exodus 2

The Birth of the Deliverer

1 s A man from the householdt of Levi marriedt a woman who was a descendant of Levi.ts2 The woman became pregnantt and gave birth to a son. Whent she saw thatt he was a healthyt child, she hid him for three months.3 But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus baskets for him and sealed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile.s

4 His sister stationed herselft at a distance to find outt what wouldt happen to him.
5 Then the daughter of Pharaohs came down to wash herselft by the Nile, while her attendants were walking alongside the river,s and she saw the basket among the reeds. She sent one of her attendants,t took it,t

6 opened it,t and saw the childt – a boy,t crying!t – and she felt compassiont for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and gets a nursing womant for you from the Hebrews, so that she may nursets the child for you?”8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes, do so.”t So the young girls went and gott the child’s mother.s

9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this childt and nurse him for me, and I will pay yourt wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.

10 When the child grew oldert she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son.t She named him Moses, saying, “Because I drew him from the water.”s

The Presumption of the Deliverer

11 s In those days,s whent Moses had grown up, he went out to his peoplet and observedts their hard labor, and he saw an Egyptian man attackingt a Hebrew man, one of his own people.t12 He looked this way and thatt and saw that no one was there,t and then he attackeds the Egyptian and concealed the bodyt in the sand.

13 When he went outt the next day,t there weret two Hebrew men fighting. So he said to the one who was in the wrong,t “Why are you attackingt your fellow Hebrew?”s
14 The mant replied, “Who made you a rulert and a judge over us? Are you planningt to kill me like you killed thatt Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, thinking,t “Surely what I didt has become known.”

15 When Pharaoh heardt about this event,t he sought to kill Moses. So Moses fledt from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian,s and he settledt by a certain well.t
16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and began to drawt watert and fillt the troughs in order to water their father’s flock.17 When somet shepherds came and drove them away,ts Moses came up and defended thems and then watered their flock.18 So when they came homet to their father Reuel,s he asked, “Why have you come home so earlyts today?”19 They said, “An Egyptian man rescued uss from the shepherds,t and he actuallyt drew water for us and watered the flock!”

20 He saidt to his daughters, “So where is he?t Why in the worldt did you leave the man? Call him, so that he may eatt a mealt with us.”
21 Moses agreedt to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.t

22 When she boret a son, Mosest named him Gershom, for he said, “I have become a resident foreigner in a foreign land.”s

The Call of the Deliverer

23 s Duringt that long period of timet the king of Egypt died, and the Israelitest groaned because of the slave labor. They cried out, and their desperate cryt because of their slave labor went up to God.24 God heard their groaning,s God remembereds his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob,

25 God sawt the Israelites, and God understood….t