Exodus 2

Baby Moses

1 Now a man from the family of Levi married a woman who was also from the family of Levi.2 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw how wonderful the baby was, she hid him for three months.3 But after three months she was not able to hide the baby any longer, so she got a basket made of reeds and covered it with tar so that it would float. She put the baby in the basket. Then she put the basket among the tall stalks of grass at the edge of the Nile River.

4 The baby’s sister stood a short distance away to see what would happen to him.
5 Then the daughter of the king of Egypt came to the river to take a bath, and her servant girls were walking beside the river. When she saw the basket in the tall grass, she sent her slave girl to get it.

6 The king’s daughter opened the basket and saw the baby boy. He was crying, so she felt sorry for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew babies.”

7 Then the baby’s sister asked the king’s daughter, “Would you like me to go and find a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for you?”

8 The king’s daughter said, “Go!” So the girl went and got the baby’s own mother.
9 The king’s daughter said to the woman, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took her baby and nursed him.10 When the child grew older, the woman took him to the king’s daughter, and she adopted the baby as her own son. The king’s daughter named him Moses, 

Moses Tries to Help

11 Moses grew and became a man. One day he visited his people and saw that they were forced to work very hard. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew man, one of Moses’ own people.

12 Moses looked all around and saw that no one was watching, so he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.

13 The next day Moses returned and saw two Hebrew men fighting each other. He said to the one that was in the wrong, “Why are you hitting one of your own people?”

14 The man answered, “Who made you our ruler and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”
Moses was afraid and thought, “Now everyone knows what I did.”

15 When the king heard what Moses had done, he tried to kill him. But Moses ran away from the king and went to live in the land of Midian. There he sat down near a well.

Moses in Midian

16 There was a priest in Midian who had seven daughters. His daughters went to that well to get water to fill the water troughs for their father’s flock.

17 Some shepherds came and chased the girls away, but Moses defended the girls and watered their flock.
18 When they went back to their father Reuel, 

19 The girls answered, “The shepherds chased us away, but an Egyptian defended us. He got water for us and watered our flock.”

20 He asked his daughters, “Where is this man? Why did you leave him? Invite him to eat with us.”
21 Moses agreed to stay with Jethro, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses to be his wife.22 Zipporah gave birth to a son. Moses named him Gershom, 23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The people of Israel groaned, because they were forced to work very hard. When they cried for help, God heard them.24 God heard their cries, and he remembered the agreement he had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.25 He saw the troubles of the people of Israel, and he was concerned about them.

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