Exodus 2

The Birth of Moses

1Now a man from 1the house of Levi went and 2married a daughter of Levi. 2The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw 3that he was 45beautiful, she hid him for three months. 3But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a 67wicker 8basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the 9reeds by the bank of the Nile. 410His sister stood at a distance to 11find out what would 12happen to him.

5The daughter of Pharaoh came down 13to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the 14basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. 6When she opened it, she 15saw the child, and behold, the 16boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call 17a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?” 8Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9Then 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. 10The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and 18he became her son. And she named him 19Moses, and said, “Because I 20drew him out of the water.”

11Now it came about in those days, 21when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their 2223hard labors; and 24he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12So he 25looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he 26struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13He went out 27the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were 28fighting with each other; and he said to the 29offender, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14But he said, “30Who made you a 31prince or a judge over us? Are you 32intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.”

Moses Escapes to Midian

15When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But 33Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and 34settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down 35by a well.

16Now 36the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and 37they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but 38Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. 18When they came to 39Reuel their father, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?” 19So they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew the water for us and watered the flock.” 20He said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him 40to have something to eat.” 2141Moses was willing to dwell with the man, and he gave his daughter 42Zipporah to Moses. 22Then she gave birth to 43a son, and he named him 44Gershom, for he said, “I have been 45a 46sojourner in a foreign land.”

23Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel 47sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and 48their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. 24So 49God heard their groaning; and God remembered 50His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 2551God saw the sons of Israel, and God 52took notice of them.