²⁹ When he heard this, Moses fled and became a resident alien in the land of Midian. There he became the father of two sons.

² After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro took her back,^{(A) 3} along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom^[a] (for he had said, “I have been an alien in a foreign land”),^{(B) 4} and the name of the other was Eliezer^[b] (for he had said, “The God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”).

¹⁹ The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who were seeking your life are dead.”^{(A) 20} So Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt, and Moses carried the staff of God in his hand.^(B)

¹⁴ He answered, “Who made you a ruler and 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.”^{(A) 15} When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.

So Moses fled from Pharaoh. He settled in the land of Midian and sat down by a well.^{(B) 16} The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. ¹⁷ But some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses got up and came to their defense and watered their flock.^{(C) 18} When they returned to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come back so soon today?”^{(D) 19} They said, “An Egyptian helped us against the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” ²⁰ He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave the man? Invite him to share a meal.”^{(E) 21} Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage.^{(F) 22} She bore a son, and he named him Gershom,^[a] for he said, “I have been an alien residing in a foreign land.”^(G)