¹⁵ When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill^(A) Moses, but Moses fled^(B) from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian,^(C) where he sat down by a well. ¹⁶ Now a priest of Midian^(D) had seven daughters, and they came to draw water^(E) and fill the troughs^(F) to water their father’s flock. ¹⁷ Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue^(G) and watered their flock.^(H)

¹⁸ When the girls returned to Reuel^(I) their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”

¹⁹ They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”

²⁰ “And where is he?” Reuel asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.”^(J)

²¹ Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah^(K) to Moses in marriage. ²² Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,^[a](L) saying, “I have become a foreigner^(M) in a foreign land.”

²³ During that long period,^(N) the king of Egypt died.^(O) The Israelites groaned in their slavery^(P) and cried out, and their cry^(Q) for help because of their slavery went up to God. ²⁴ God heard their groaning and he remembered^(R) his covenant^(S) with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. ²⁵ So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned^(T) about them.

Peace and Hope

5 Therefore, since we have been justified^(A) through faith,^(B) we^[a] have peace^(C) with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,^{(D) 2} through whom we have gained access^(E) by faith into this grace in which we now stand.^(F) And we^[b] boast in the hope^(G) of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings,^(H) because we know that suffering produces perseverance;^{(I) 4} perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope^(J) does not put us to shame, because God’s love^(K) has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,^(L) who has been given to us.

⁶ You see, at just the right time,^(M) when we were still powerless,^(N) Christ died for the ungodly.^{(O) 7} Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.^(P)

⁹ Since we have now been justified^(Q) by his blood,^(R) how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath^(S) through him! ¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies,^(T) we were reconciled^(U) to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!^{(V) 11} Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.^(W)