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
Exodus 2
1599 Geneva Bible
2 2 Moses is born and cast into the flags. 5 He is taken up of Pharaoh’s daughter and kept. 12 He killeth the Egyptian. 15 He fleeth and marrieth a wife. 23 The Israelites cry unto the Lord.
1 Then there went a [a]man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2 And the woman conceived and bare a son: and when she saw that he was fair, (A)she hid him three months.
3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark made of reed, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and [b]laid the child therein, and put it among the bulrushes by the river’s brink.
4 Now his sister stood afar off, to wit what would come of him.
5 ¶ Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash her in the river, and her maidens walked by the river’s side: and when she saw the ark among the bulrushes, she sent her maid to fetch it.
6 Then she opened it, and saw it was a child, and behold, the babe wept: so she had compassion on it, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.
7 Then said his sister unto Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call unto thee a nurse of the Hebrew women to nurse thee the child?
8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. So the maid went and called the [c]child’s mother.
9 To whom Pharaoh’s daughter said, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will reward thee. Then the woman took the child, and nursed him.
10 Now the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he was as her son, and she called his name Moses, because, said she, I drew him out of the water.
11 ¶ And in those days, when Moses was [d]grown, he went forth unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: also he saw an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew one of his brethren.
12 And he looked [e]round about, and when he saw no man, he [f]slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
13 Again he came forth the second day, and behold two Hebrews strove: and he said unto him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
14 And he answered, Who made thee a man of authority, and a judge over us? Thinkest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? Then Moses [g]feared and said, Certainly this thing is known.
15 Now Pharaoh heard this matter, and sought to slay Moses: therefore Moses fled from Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.
16 And the [h]Priest of Midian had seven daughters, which came and drew water, and filled the troughs, for to water their father’s sheep.
17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses rose up, and [i]defended them, and watered their sheep.
18 And when they came to Reuel their [j]father, he said, How are ye come so soon today?
19 And they said, A man of Egypt delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and also drew us water enough, and watered the sheep.
20 Then he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why have ye so left the man? [k]call him that he may eat bread.
21 And Moses agreed to dwell with the man: who gave unto Moses Zipporah his daughter:
22 And she bare a son, (B)whose name he called Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.
23 ¶ Then in process of time, the King of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed for the bondage and [l]cried: and their cry for the bondage came up unto God.
24 Then God heard their moan, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25 So God looked upon the children of Israel, and God [m]had respect unto them.
Footnotes
- Exodus 2:1 This Levite was called Amram, who married Jochebed, Exod. 6:20.
- Exodus 2:3 Committing him to the providence of God, whom she could not keep from the rage of the tyrant.
- Exodus 2:8 Man’s counsel cannot hinder that, which God hath determined shall come to pass.
- Exodus 2:11 That is, was forty years old, Acts 7:23.
- Exodus 2:12 Hebrew, thus and thus.
- Exodus 2:12 Being assured that God had appointed him to deliver the Israelites, Acts 7:25.
- Exodus 2:14 Though by his fear he showed his infirmity, yet faith covered it, Heb. 11:27.
- Exodus 2:16 Or, prince.
- Exodus 2:17 Hebrew, saved them.
- Exodus 2:18 Or, grandfather.
- Exodus 2:20 Wherein he declared a thankful mind, which would recompense the benefit done unto his.
- Exodus 2:23 God humbleth his by afflictions, that they should cry unto him, and receive the fruit of his promise.
- Exodus 2:25 He judgeth their causes or acknowledged them to be his.
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