Exodus 2
Christian Standard Bible
Moses’s Birth and Adoption
2 Now a man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman.(A) 2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son; when she saw that he was beautiful,[a] she hid him for three months.(B) 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with asphalt and pitch. She placed the child in it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4 Then his sister(C) stood at a distance in order to see what would happen to him.
5 Pharaoh’s daughter went down to bathe at the Nile while her servant girls walked along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds, sent her slave girl, took it, 6 opened it, and saw him, the child—and there he was, a little boy, crying. She felt sorry for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew boys.”
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a Hebrew woman who is nursing to nurse the boy for you?”
8 “Go,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. So the girl went and called the boy’s mother. 9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the boy and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses,[b] “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
Moses in Midian
11 Years later,[c] after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people[d] and observed their forced labor.(D) He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 Looking all around and seeing no one, he struck the Egyptian dead 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 attacking your neighbor?” [e]
14 “Who made you a commander and judge over us?” the man replied. “Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”
Then Moses became afraid and thought, “What I did is certainly known.”
15 When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian,(E) and sat down by a well.(F)
16 Now the priest of Midian(G) had seven daughters. They came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Then some shepherds arrived and drove them away, but Moses came to their rescue and watered their flock. 18 When they returned to their father Reuel,[f](H) he asked, “Why have you come back so quickly today?”
19 They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
20 “So where is he?” he asked his daughters. “Why then did you leave the man behind? Invite him to eat dinner.”
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah(I) to Moses in marriage. 22 She gave birth to a son whom he named Gershom,[g] for he said, “I have been a resident alien(J) in a foreign land.”
23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor, they cried out,(K) and their cry for help because of the difficult labor ascended to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered(L) his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.(M) 25 God saw the Israelites, and God knew.(N)
Exodus 2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Birth and Youth of Moses
2 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman.(A) 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months.(B) 3 When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. 4 His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.(C)
5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said. 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. 10 When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses,[a] “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”(D)
Moses Flees to Midian
11 One day after Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and saw their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.(E) 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When he went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting, and he said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow Hebrew?”(F) 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.”(G) 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.(H) 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.(I) 18 When they returned to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come back so soon today?”(J) 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.”(K) 21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage.(L) 22 She bore a son, and he named him Gershom,[b] for he said, “I have been an alien residing in a foreign land.”(M)
23 After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Their cry for help rose up to God from their slavery.(N) 24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.(O) 25 God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them.(P)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.