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.

Then there went a [a]man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

And the woman conceived and bare a son: and when she saw that he was fair, (A)she hid him three months.

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.

Now his sister stood afar off, to wit what would come of him.

¶ 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.

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.

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?

And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. So the maid went and called the [c]child’s mother.

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

  1. Exodus 2:1 This Levite was called Amram, who married Jochebed, Exod. 6:20.
  2. Exodus 2:3 Committing him to the providence of God, whom she could not keep from the rage of the tyrant.
  3. Exodus 2:8 Man’s counsel cannot hinder that, which God hath determined shall come to pass.
  4. Exodus 2:11 That is, was forty years old, Acts 7:23.
  5. Exodus 2:12 Hebrew, thus and thus.
  6. Exodus 2:12 Being assured that God had appointed him to deliver the Israelites, Acts 7:25.
  7. Exodus 2:14 Though by his fear he showed his infirmity, yet faith covered it, Heb. 11:27.
  8. Exodus 2:16 Or, prince.
  9. Exodus 2:17 Hebrew, saved them.
  10. Exodus 2:18 Or, grandfather.
  11. Exodus 2:20 Wherein he declared a thankful mind, which would recompense the benefit done unto his.
  12. Exodus 2:23 God humbleth his by afflictions, that they should cry unto him, and receive the fruit of his promise.
  13. Exodus 2:25 He judgeth their causes or acknowledged them to be his.

The Birth of Moses

Now a man of the tribe of Levi(A) married a Levite woman,(B) and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine(C) child, she hid him for three months.(D) But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus(E) basket[a] for him and coated it with tar and pitch.(F) Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds(G) along the bank of the Nile. His sister(H) stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank.(I) She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.

Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

“Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named(J) him Moses,[b] saying, “I drew(K) him out of the water.”

Moses Flees to Midian

11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people(L) were and watched them at their hard labor.(M) He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian 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 hitting your fellow Hebrew?”(N)

14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us?(O) Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”

15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill(P) Moses, but Moses fled(Q) from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian,(R) where he sat down by a well. 16 Now a priest of Midian(S) had seven daughters, and they came to draw water(T) and fill the troughs(U) to water their father’s flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue(V) and watered their flock.(W)

18 When the girls returned to Reuel(X) 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.”(Y)

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

23 During that long period,(AC) the king of Egypt died.(AD) The Israelites groaned in their slavery(AE) and cried out, and their cry(AF) for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered(AG) his covenant(AH) with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned(AI) about them.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 2:3 The Hebrew can also mean ark, as in Gen. 6:14.
  2. Exodus 2:10 Moses sounds like the Hebrew for draw out.
  3. Exodus 2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for a foreigner there.