Exodus 2
New International Reader's Version
Moses Is Born
2 A man and a woman from the tribe of Levi got married. 2 She became pregnant and had a son by her husband. She saw that her baby was a fine child. And she hid him for three months. 3 After that, she couldn’t hide him any longer. So she got a basket made out of the stems of tall grass. She coated the basket with tar. She placed the child in the basket. Then she put it in the tall grass that grew along the bank of the Nile River. 4 The child’s sister wasn’t very far away. She wanted to see what would happen to him.
5 Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile River to take a bath. Her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket in the tall grass. So she sent her female slave to get it. 6 When she opened it, Pharaoh’s daughter saw the baby. He was crying. She felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.
7 Then his sister spoke to Pharaoh’s daughter. She asked, “Do you want me to go and get one of the Hebrew women? She could breast-feed the baby for you.”
8 “Yes. Go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and feed him for me. I’ll pay you.” So the woman took the baby and fed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter. And he became her son. She named him Moses. She said, “I pulled him out of the water.”
Moses Escapes to Midian
11 Moses grew up. One day, he went out to where his own people were. He watched them while they were hard at work. He saw an Egyptian hitting a Hebrew man. The man was one of Moses’ own people. 12 Moses looked around and didn’t see anyone. So he killed the Egyptian. Then he hid his body in the sand. 13 The next day Moses went out again. He saw two Hebrew men fighting. He asked the one who had started the fight a question. He said, “Why are you hitting another Hebrew man?”
14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking about killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses became afraid. He thought, “People must have heard about what I did.”
15 When Pharaoh heard about what had happened, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses escaped from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian. There he sat down by a well. 16 A priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to fill the stone tubs with water. They wanted to give water to their father’s flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and chased the girls away. But Moses got up and helped them. Then he gave water to their flock.
18 The girls returned to their father Reuel. He asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
19 They answered, “An Egyptian saved us from the shepherds. He even got water for us and gave it to the flock.”
20 “Where is he?” Reuel asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.”
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man. And the man gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses to be his wife. 22 Zipporah had a son by him. Moses named him Gershom. That’s because Moses said, “I’m an outsider in a strange land.”
23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The people of Israel groaned because they were slaves. They also cried out to God. Their cry for help went up to him. 24 God heard their groans. He remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites with concern for them.
2 Mose 2
Schlachter 1951
Geburt Moses; seine Bewahrung
2 Und es ging hin ein Mann von dem Hause Levis und nahm eine Tochter Levis. 2 Und die Frau empfing und gebar einen Sohn. Und als sie sah, daß er schön war, verbarg sie ihn drei Monate lang. 3 Als sie ihn aber nicht länger verbergen konnte, nahm sie ein Kästlein von Rohr, und verklebte es mit Lehm und Pech, tat das Kind darein, und legte es in das Schilf am Gestade des Flusses. 4 Aber seine Schwester stellte sich in einiger Entfernung hin, damit sie erführe, wie es ihm ergehen würde.
5 Da kam die Tochter des Pharao herab, um im Flusse zu baden, und ihre Jungfrauen gingen an das Ufer des Flusses; und als sie das Kästlein mitten im Schilf sah, sandte sie ihre Magd hin und ließ es holen. 6 Und als sie es öffnete, sah sie das Kind. Und siehe, es war ein weinendes Knäblein! Da erbarmte sie sich über dasselbe und sprach: es ist eines der hebräischen Kinder!
7 Da sprach seine Schwester zu der Tochter des Pharao: Soll ich hingehen und eine hebräische Säugamme rufen, daß sie dir das Kind säuge?
8 Die Tochter des Pharao sprach zu ihr: Geh hin! Die Jungfrau ging hin und rief des Kindes Mutter. 9 Da sprach des Pharao Tochter zu ihr: Nimm das kleine Kind hin und säuge es mir, ich will dir deinen Lohn geben! Die Frau nahm das Kind und säugte es. 10 Und als das Kind groß geworden, brachte sie es der Tochter des Pharao, und es wurde ihr Sohn, und sie hieß ihn Mose[a] . Denn sie sprach: Ich habe ihn aus dem Wasser gezogen.
Flucht Moses nach Madian
11 Zu der Zeit aber, als Mose groß geworden, ging er aus zu seinen Brüdern und sah ihre Lasten und sah, daß ein Ägypter einen Hebräer, einen seiner Brüder, schlug. 12 Und er wandte sich hin und her, und als er sah, daß kein Mensch zugegen war, erschlug er den Ägypter und verscharrte ihn im Sand. 13 Am zweiten Tag ging er auch aus, und siehe, zwei hebräische Männer zankten miteinander, und er sprach zu dem Schuldigen: Warum schlägst du deinen Nächsten?
14 Er aber sprach: Wer hat dich zum Obersten und Richter über uns gesetzt? Gedenkst du mich auch zu erwürgen, wie du den Ägypter erwürgt hast? Da fürchtete sich Mose und sprach: Wahrlich, das ist ruchbar geworden!
15 Und es kam vor den Pharao; der suchte Mose umzubringen. Aber Mose floh vor dem Pharao und hielt sich im Lande Midian auf und setzte sich an einen Brunnen. 16 Aber der Priester in Midian hatte sieben Töchter; die kamen, um Wasser zu schöpfen, und füllten die Tränkrinnen, um ihres Vaters Schafe zu tränken. 17 Da kamen die Hirten und jagten sie fort. Aber Mose machte sich auf und half ihnen und tränkte ihre Schafe.
18 Und als sie zu ihrem Vater Reguel[b] kamen, sprach er: Warum seid ihr heute so bald wiedergekommen? 19 Sie sprachen: Ein ägyptischer Mann errettete uns von der Hand der Hirten und schöpfte uns Wasser genug und tränkte die Schafe. 20 Er sprach zu seinen Töchtern: Wo ist er? Warum habt ihr den Mann stehen lassen? Ruft ihn her, daß er mit uns esse!
21 Und Mose willigte ein, bei dem Mann zu bleiben; der gab ihm seine Tochter Zippora zur Frau. 22 Die gebar einen Sohn, den hieß er Gersom[c] ; denn er sprach: Ich bin ein Fremdling geworden in einem fremden Land.
Gott erbarmt sich über Israel
23 Aber viele Tage darnach starb der König in Ägypten. Und die Kinder Israel seufzten über ihre Knechtschaft und schrieen. Und ihr Geschrei über ihre Knechtschaft kam vor Gott. 24 Und Gott erhörte ihr Wehklagen, und Gott gedachte an seinen Bund mit Abraham, Isaak und Jakob. 25 Und Gott sah die Kinder Israel an, und Gott nahm Kenntnis davon.
Footnotes
- 2 Mose 2:10 Moses, bed. aus dem Wasser gezogen
- 2 Mose 2:18 Reguel, auch Jethro genannt: 2M 3:1; 4:18; 18:1
- 2 Mose 2:22 Gersom, bed. Fremdling
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
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Copyright © 1951 by Geneva Bible Society
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
