Exodus 2

1verseA man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife.

2verseThe woman conceived and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.

3verseWhen she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.

4verseHis sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him.

5versePharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at the river. Her maidens walked along by the riverside. She saw the basket among the reeds, and sent her servant to get it.

6verseShe opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

7verseThen his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”

8versePharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” The young woman went and called the child’s mother.

9versePharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” The woman took the child, and nursed him.

10verseThe child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

11verseIn those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers and saw their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers.

12verseHe looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

13verseHe went out the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?”

14verseHe said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.”

15verseNow when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

16verseNow the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

17verseThe shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

18verseWhen they came to Reuel, their father, he said, “How is it that you have returned so early today?”

19verseThey said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.”

20verseHe said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.”

21verseMoses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter.

22verseShe bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.”

23verseIn the course of those many days, the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.

24verseGod heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

25verseGod saw the children of Israel, and God understood.