1Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. (Ex 6:20; Nu 26:59; 1Ch 23:14)2The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. (Ac 7:20; Heb 11:23)3When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes[1] and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. (Ex 2:5; Isa 19:6)4And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. (Ex 15:20; Nu 26:59)5Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it.6When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took 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 you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”8And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.9And 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.10When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”[2] (2Sa 22:17; Ps 18:16; Ac 7:21; Heb 11:24)
Moses Flees to Midian
11One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.[3] (Ex 1:11; Ac 7:23; Heb 11:24)12He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. (Ac 7:24)13When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” (Ac 7:23)14He answered, “Who made you a prince and a 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.” (Lu 12:14)15When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well. (Ge 24:11; Ge 29:2; Ac 7:29; Heb 11:27)16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. (Ge 24:11; Ge 29:10; Ex 3:1; 1Sa 9:11)17The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. (Ge 29:10)18When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” (Ex 3:1; Ex 4:18; Ex 18:1; Ex 18:5; Ex 18:9; Ex 18:12; Nu 10:29)19They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” (Ex 2:17)20He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” (Ge 31:54; Ge 43:25)21And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. (Ex 4:25; Ex 18:2)22She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner[4] in a foreign land.” (Ex 18:3; Ac 7:29; Heb 11:13)
God Hears Israel’s Groaning
23During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. (Ge 18:20; Ex 3:9; Ex 7:7; De 26:7; Ac 7:23; Ac 7:30; Jas 5:4)24And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. (Ge 15:14; Ge 46:4; Ex 6:5; Ps 105:8; Ps 105:42; Ps 106:45)25God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. (Ex 3:7; Ex 3:16; Ex 4:31; Lu 1:25)
Exodus 2
New International Version
The birth of Moses
1Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman,2and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months.3But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket[1] for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. (Ge 6:14)4His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.5Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it.6She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. ‘This is one of the Hebrew babies,’ she said.7Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?’8‘Yes, go,’ she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother.9Pharaoh’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.10When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses,[2] saying, ‘I drew him out of the water.’
Moses flees to Midian
11One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labour. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.12Looking this way and that and seeing no-one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.13The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, ‘Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?’14The man said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?’ Then Moses was afraid and thought, ‘What I did must have become known.’15When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.16Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.17Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock.18When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, ‘Why have you returned so early today?’19They 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.’21Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.22Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,[3] saying, ‘I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.’23During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.24God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.25So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
Exodus 2
King James Version
1And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.2And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child , she hid him three months.3And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river' brink.4And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.5And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river' side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.6And when she had opened it , she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews'children.7Then said his sister to Pharaoh' daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?8And Pharaoh' daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child' mother.9And Pharaoh' daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.10And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh' daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.11And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.12And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.13And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?14And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.15Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water , and filled the troughs to water their father' flock.17And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.18And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?19And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.20And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.21And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.22And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.23And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.24And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.25And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them .
Exodus 2
New International Reader’s Version
Moses is born
1A man and a woman from the tribe of Levi got married.2She 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.3After 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 River Nile.4The child’s sister wasn’t very far away. She wanted to see what would happen to him.5Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the River Nile to take a bath. Her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket in the tall grass. So she sent her female slave to get it.6When 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.7Then 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.9Pharaoh’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.10When 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
11Moses 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.12Moses looked around and didn’t see anyone. So he killed the Egyptian. Then he hid his body in the sand.13The 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?’14The 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.’15When 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.16A 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.17Some shepherds came along and chased the girls away. But Moses got up and helped them. Then he gave water to their flock.18The girls returned to their father Reuel. He asked them, ‘Why have you returned so early today?’19They 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.’21Moses agreed to stay with the man. And the man gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses to be his wife.22Zipporah had a son by him. Moses named him Gershom. That’s because Moses said, ‘I’m an outsider in a strange land.’23After 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.24God heard their groans. He remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.25So God looked on the Israelites with concern for them.