Exodus 2
New Catholic Bible
The Liberator Raised Up by God
Chapter 2
Moses Is Saved.[a] 1 There was a certain man from the tribe of Levi who took a daughter of the tribe of Levi as his wife. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son. She saw that he was handsome and she hid him for three months. 3 But, not being able to hide him any longer, she took a basket made of papyrus, caulked it with bitumen and pitch, and placed the baby in it and lay it among the reeds growing on the riverbank of the Nile. 4 The baby’s sister[b] hid herself so that she could watch what would happen from a distance.
5 Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe while her attendants walked along the riverbank. They saw the basket among the reeds and sent a slave to fetch it. 6 They opened it and saw the baby. It was a small baby boy who was crying. They had compassion on it and said, “This is a Hebrew baby.”
7 The sister of the baby said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go to call a wet nurse from among the Hebrew women to feed the child for you?”
8 “Go,” said Pharaoh’s daughter. The girl went and called the baby’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby with you and feed it for me. I will pay you.” The woman took the baby and fed it. 10 When the baby was grown, she brought it to Pharaoh’s daughter. He became a son to her and she named him Moses, saying, “I have saved him from the water.”[c]
11 Moses Flees to Midian.[d] One day Moses, having grown up,[e] went out to his brethren and saw how they were oppressed. He noticed an Egyptian strike a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 Looking around, he did not see anyone, so he struck and killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out again and, seeing two Hebrews fighting, said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why did you hit your brother?” 14 He answered, “Who has made you head and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me like you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid and thought, “Certainly this thing is known.” 15 Pharaoh heard about it and sought to put Moses to death. Moses fled from Pharaoh and traveled to the land of Midian[f] where he sat down by a well.
16 A priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water to fill the trough and give water to their father’s flocks. 17 But some shepherds arrived and chased them away. Moses got up and defended them and gave their animals something to drink. 18 They returned to their father Reuel[g] who said to them, “Why are you back so soon today?” 19 They answered, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hands of the shepherds. He drew water for us and gave water to the flock to drink.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave him there? Invite him to eat with us.” 21 Moses agreed to live with that man, who gave him his daughter Zipporah as a wife. 22 She bore him a son and he named his son Gershom for he said, “I am a stranger in a strange land.”[h]
23 God Does Not Forget the Covenant.[i] And it came to pass that the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their slavery, and they cried out. The cry of their bondage rose up to God. 24 God heard their cry and remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God took note of the children of Israel and acknowledged their need.
Footnotes
- Exodus 2:1 In an account filled with charm, the narrator is pleased to show that God toys with obstacles and makes them serve his plan of salvation. The education in letters that Moses receives from the Egyptian court will be a great help in his mission.
- Exodus 2:4 The baby’s sister: i.e., Miriam (see Ex 15:21).
- Exodus 2:10 Assonance links Mosheh, the Hebrew form of Moses, and the verb mashah, “to draw out.”
- Exodus 2:11 Endangered by his defense of the children of his race, Moses is fearful and flees to the wilderness east of the Gulf of Aqaba. This episode prepares him for the difficulties to come (see Ex 18).
- Exodus 2:11 Moses, having grown up: according to Acts 7:23, almost forty years had now passed (see Ex 7:7).
- Exodus 2:15 Midian, which was south of Edom and east of the Gulf of Aqaba or Gulf of Elana, was inhabited by nomadic tribes.
- Exodus 2:18 It was perhaps different traditions that gave Moses’ father-in-law different names: Reuel (here and in Num 10:29); Jethro (Ex 3:1; 4:18; 18:1). Hobab seems to be rather Moses’ brother-in-law (Num 10:29; Jdg 4:11). The Hebrew terms for degrees of kinship do not have a very precise meaning.
- Exodus 2:22 Some Greek and Latin MSS add here a passage apparently from Ex 18:4: “and the other [son] named Eliezer, for he had said, ‘The God of my father has come to my assistance and has freed me from the sword of Pharaoh.’ ”
- Exodus 2:23 God remembers his Covenant. Such will also be the case in all the moments when Israel will find itself in distress. Covenant with Abraham: see Gen 15:17-18; 17:7. With Isaac: see Gen 17:19; 26:24. With Jacob: see Gen 35:11-12.
Exodus 2
New King James Version
Moses Is Born(A)
2 And (B)a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. 2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And (C)when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of (D)bulrushes for him, daubed it with (E)asphalt and (F)pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds (G)by the river’s bank. 4 (H)And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.
5 Then the (I)daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. 6 And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion 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 a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”
8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. 9 Then 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 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became (J)her son. So she called his name [a]Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”
Moses Flees to Midian(K)
11 Now it came to pass in those days, (L)when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he (M)killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 And (N)when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men (O)were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?”
14 Then he said, (P)“Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”
So Moses (Q)feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!” 15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But (R)Moses fled from [b]the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of (S)Midian; and he sat down by (T)a well.
16 (U)Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. (V)And they came and drew water, and they filled the (W)troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Then the (X)shepherds came and (Y)drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and (Z)watered their flock.
18 When they came to (AA)Reuel[c] their father, (AB)he said, “How is it that you have come so soon today?”
19 And they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.”
20 So he said to his daughters, “And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may (AC)eat bread.”
21 Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave (AD)Zipporah his daughter to Moses. 22 And she bore him a son. He called his name (AE)Gershom,[d] for he said, “I have been (AF)a [e]stranger in a foreign land.”
23 Now it happened (AG)in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel (AH)groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and (AI)their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 So God (AJ)heard their groaning, and God (AK)remembered His (AL)covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God (AM)looked upon the children of Israel, and God (AN)acknowledged them.
Footnotes
- Exodus 2:10 Heb. Mosheh, lit. Drawn Out
- Exodus 2:15 the presence of Pharaoh
- Exodus 2:18 Jethro, Ex. 3:1
- Exodus 2:22 Lit. Stranger There
- Exodus 2:22 sojourner, temporary resident
Exodus 2
English Standard Version
The Birth of Moses
2 Now a (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 (B)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 bulrushes[a] and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the (C)reeds by the river bank. 4 And (D)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 older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became (E)her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I (F)drew him out of the water.”[b]
Moses Flees to Midian
11 One day, (G)when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their (H)burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.[c] 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he (I)struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When (J)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, (K)“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 (L)Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by (M)a well.
16 Now the (N)priest of Midian had seven daughters, and (O)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 (P)watered their flock. 18 When they came home to their father (Q)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 (R)watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may (S)eat bread.” 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter (T)Zipporah. 22 She gave birth to a son, and he called his name (U)Gershom, for he said, “I have been a (V)sojourner[d] in a foreign land.”
God Hears Israel's Groaning
23 (W)During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel (X)groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. (Y)Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And (Z)God heard their groaning, and God (AA)remembered his covenant with (AB)Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God (AC)saw the people of Israel—and God (AD)knew.
Footnotes
- Exodus 2:3 Hebrew papyrus reeds
- Exodus 2:10 Moses sounds like the Hebrew for draw out
- Exodus 2:11 Hebrew brothers
- Exodus 2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for sojourner
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
