15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill(A) Moses, but Moses fled(B) from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian,(C) where he sat down by a well. 16 Now a priest of Midian(D) had seven daughters, and they came to draw water(E) and fill the troughs(F) to water their father’s flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue(G) and watered their flock.(H)

18 When the girls returned to Reuel(I) 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.”(J)

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

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for a foreigner there.

Moses Flees to Midian

15 When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. So Moses fled from Pharaoh, settled in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well. 16 Meanwhile, the seven daughters of a certain Midianite priest would come to draw water in order to fill water troughs for their father’s sheep. 17 Some shepherds came to drive them away, but Moses got up, came to their rescue, and watered their sheep. 18 When they returned to their father Reuel,[a] he asked, “Why have you returned so quickly today?”

19 “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,”[b] they replied, “and he even drew water for us and watered the sheep!”

20 “Then where is he?” He asked his daughters. “Why did you leave the man behind? Go invite him to have something to eat.”[c]

21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.[d] 22 Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses[e] named him Gershom,[f] because he used to say, “I became an alien in a foreign land.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 2:18 I.e. another name for Jethro
  2. Exodus 2:19 Lit. the hand of the shepherds
  3. Exodus 2:20 Lit. to eat bread
  4. Exodus 2:21 The Heb. lacks in marriage
  5. Exodus 2:22 Lit. he
  6. Exodus 2:22 Gershom sounds like Heb. for alien