The Birth of Moses

Now a man from (A)the house of Levi went and [a]married a daughter of Levi. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw [b]that he was [c](B)beautiful, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a [d](C)wicker [e]basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the (D)reeds by the bank of the Nile. (E)His sister stood at a distance to [f]find out what would [g]happen to him.

The daughter of Pharaoh came down (F)to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the [h]basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. When she opened it, she [i]saw the child, and behold, the [j]boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call [k]a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 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 The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and (G)he became her son. And she named him [l]Moses, and said, “Because I [m]drew him out of the water.”

11 Now it came about in those days, (H)when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their [n](I)hard labors; and (J)he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 So he [o]looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he (K)struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 He went out (L)the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were [p]fighting with each other; and he said to the [q]offender, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14 But he said, “(M)Who made you a [r]prince or a judge over us? Are you [s]intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.”

Moses Escapes to Midian

15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But (N)Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and [t]settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down (O)by a well.

16 Now (P)the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and (Q)they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but (R)Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. 18 When they came to (S)Reuel their father, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?” 19 So they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew the water for us and watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him [u]to have something to eat.” 21 (T)Moses was willing to dwell with the man, and he gave his daughter (U)Zipporah to Moses. 22 Then she gave birth to (V)a son, and he named him [v]Gershom, for he said, “I have been (W)a [w]sojourner in a foreign land.”

23 Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel (X)sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and (Y)their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. 24 So (Z)God heard their groaning; and God remembered (AA)His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 (AB)God saw the sons of Israel, and God [x]took notice of them.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 2:1 Lit took
  2. Exodus 2:2 Lit him that
  3. Exodus 2:2 Lit good
  4. Exodus 2:3 I.e. papyrus reeds
  5. Exodus 2:3 Or chest
  6. Exodus 2:4 Lit know
  7. Exodus 2:4 Lit be done
  8. Exodus 2:5 Or chest
  9. Exodus 2:6 Heb saw it, the child
  10. Exodus 2:6 Or lad
  11. Exodus 2:7 Lit a woman giving suck
  12. Exodus 2:10 Heb Mosheh, from mashah
  13. Exodus 2:10 Heb mashah
  14. Exodus 2:11 Lit burdens
  15. Exodus 2:12 Lit turned
  16. Exodus 2:13 Or quarreling
  17. Exodus 2:13 Or the guilty one
  18. Exodus 2:14 Lit man, a prince
  19. Exodus 2:14 Lit saying in your heart
  20. Exodus 2:15 Lit dwelt
  21. Exodus 2:20 Lit that he may eat bread
  22. Exodus 2:22 Cf Heb ger sham, a stranger there
  23. Exodus 2:22 Heb ger
  24. Exodus 2:25 Lit knew them

The Birth of Moses

Now a man of the tribe of Levi(A) married a Levite woman,(B) and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine(C) child, she hid him for three months.(D) But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus(E) basket[a] for him and coated it with tar and pitch.(F) Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds(G) along the bank of the Nile. His sister(H) stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank.(I) She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.

Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

“Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named(J) him Moses,[b] saying, “I drew(K) him out of the water.”

Moses Flees to Midian

11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people(L) were and watched them at their hard labor.(M) He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?”(N)

14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us?(O) Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”

15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill(P) Moses, but Moses fled(Q) from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian,(R) where he sat down by a well. 16 Now a priest of Midian(S) had seven daughters, and they came to draw water(T) and fill the troughs(U) to water their father’s flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue(V) and watered their flock.(W)

18 When the girls returned to Reuel(X) 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.”(Y)

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

23 During that long period,(AC) the king of Egypt died.(AD) The Israelites groaned in their slavery(AE) and cried out, and their cry(AF) for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered(AG) his covenant(AH) with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned(AI) about them.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 2:3 The Hebrew can also mean ark, as in Gen. 6:14.
  2. Exodus 2:10 Moses sounds like the Hebrew for draw out.
  3. Exodus 2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for a foreigner there.