And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.

And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.

And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it.

10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.

12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?

14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?

19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.

20 And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.

21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

22 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

The Birth of Moses

Now a (A)man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and (B)when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 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. And (D)his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 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. 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.” 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?” And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child's mother. 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

  1. Exodus 2:3 Hebrew papyrus reeds
  2. Exodus 2:10 Moses sounds like the Hebrew for draw out
  3. Exodus 2:11 Hebrew brothers
  4. Exodus 2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for sojourner

Or un uomo della casa di Levi andò e prese in moglie una figlia di Levi.

La donna concepì e partorì un figlio; e, vedendo che era bello, lo tenne nascosto per tre mesi.

Ma, quando non poté piú tenerlo nascosto, prese un canestro di giunchi, lo spalmò di bitume e di pece, vi pose dentro il bambino e lo pose nel canneto sulla riva del fiume.

La sorella del bambino se ne stava a una certa distanza, per sapere quel che gli sarebbe successo.

Or la figlia del Faraone scese per fare il bagno al fiume, mentre le sue ancelle passeggiavano lungo il fiume. Ella vide il canestro nel canneto e mandò la sua serva a prenderlo.

Lo aprì e vide il bambino; ed ecco il piccolo piangeva; ella ne ebbe compassione e disse: «Questo è un bambino ebreo».

Allora la sorella del bambino disse alla figlia del Faraone: «Devo andare a chiamarti una balia tra le donne ebree che allatti questo bambino per te?».

La figlia del Faraone le rispose: «Va'». E la fanciulla andò a chiamare la madre del bambino.

E la figlia del Faraone le disse: «Porta via questo bambino, allattalo per me e ti darò il tuo salario». Così la donna prese il bambino e lo allattò.

10 Quando il bambino fu cresciuto ella lo portò alla figlia del Faraone; egli divenne suo figlio ed ella lo chiamò Mosè, dicendo: «Perché io l'ho tratto dall'acqua».

11 In quei giorni, quando Mosè si era fatto grande, avvenne che egli uscì a trovare i suoi fratelli e notò i loro duri lavori; e vide un Egiziano che percuoteva un uomo ebreo, uno dei suoi fratelli.

12 Egli guardó di qua e di là e, visto che non c'era nessuno, uccise l'Egiziano e lo nascose poi nella sabbia.

13 Il giorno seguente uscì e vide due uomini ebrei che litigavano; egli disse a quello che aveva torto: «Perché percuoti il tuo compagno?».

14 Ma quegli rispose: «Chi ti ha costituito principe e giudice su di noi? Vuoi uccidermi come hai ucciso l'Egiziano?». Allora Mosè ebbe paura, e disse: «Certamente la cosa è risaputa».

15 Quando il Faraone sentì parlare dell'accaduto, cercò di uccidere Mosè; ma Mosè fuggì dalla presenza del Faraone e si stabilì nel paese di Madian; e si pose a sedere presso un pozzo.

16 Or il sacerdote di Madian aveva sette figlie; ed esse vennero ad attingere acqua e a riempire gli abbeveratoi per abbeverare il gregge del padre.

17 Ma sopraggiunsero dei pastori e le scacciarono. Allora Mosè si levò e venne in loro aiuto e abbeverò il loro gregge.

18 Quando giunsero da Reuel loro padre, questi disse: «Come mai siete tornate così presto oggi?».

19 Esse risposero: «Un Egiziano ci ha liberate dalle mani dei pastori; inoltre ha attinto l'acqua per noi ed ha abbeverato il gregge».

20 Egli allora disse alle sue figlie: «dov' è? Perché avete lasciato quest' uomo? Chiamatelo, perché venga a mangiare».

21 Mosè accosentì a stare da quell'uomo; ed egli diede a Mosè Sefora, sua figlia.

22 Poi ella partorì un figlio che egli chiamò Ghershom, perché disse: «Io sono ospite in terra straniera».

23 Or avvenne che dopo molto tempo il re d'Egitto morì, e i figli d'Israele gemevano a motivo della schiavitú; essi gridarono, e il loro grido a motivo della schiavitú salì fino a DIO.

24 Così DIO udì il loro gemito, e DIO si ricordò del suo patto con Abrahamo, con Isacco e con Giacobbe.

25 E DIO guardò sui figli d'Israele, e DIO si prese cura di loro.