Exodus 2

The Birth of Moses

1Now a man from the house of Levi went and #2:1 Lit tookmarried a daughter of Levi. 2And the woman conceived and gave birth to a son; and when she saw #2:2 Lit him thatthat he was #2:2 Lit goodbeautiful, she hid him for three months. 3But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a papyrus #2:3 Or chestbasket and covered it with tar and pitch. Then she put the child in it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4And his sister stood at a distance to #2:4 Lit knowfind out what would #2:4 Lit be donehappen to him.

5Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her female attendants walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the #2:5 Or chestbasket among the reeds and sent her slave woman, and she brought it to her. 6When she opened it, she #2:6 Heb saw it, the childsaw the child, and behold, the boy 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 a woman for you who is nursing from the Hebrew women, so 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. 10And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. And she named him #2:10 Heb Mosheh, from a verb meaning to draw outMoses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

11Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his #2:11 Lit brothersfellow Hebrews and looked at their #2:11 Lit burdenshard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his #2:11 Lit brothersfellow Hebrews. 12So he #2:12 Lit turnedlooked this way and that, and when he saw that there was no one around, he struck and killed the Egyptian, and hid #2:12 Lit himhis body in the sand. 13Now he went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were #2:13 Or quarrelingfighting with each other; and he said to the #2:13 Or the guilty oneoffender, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14But he said, “Who made you a #2:14 Lit man, a rulerruler and a judge over us? Do you #2:14 Lit sayintend 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 about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and #2:15 Lit dweltsettled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. 18When they came to their father Reuel, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?” 19They said, “An Egyptian saved us from #2:19 Lit the hand of thethe shepherds, and what is more, he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20So he said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him #2:20 Lit that he may eat breadto have something to eat.” 21And Moses was willing to live with the man. And he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses. 22Then she gave birth to a son, and he named him #2:22 Cf. Heb ger sham, a stranger thereGershom, for he said, “I have been a stranger 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 groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage ascended to God. 24So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25And God saw the sons of Israel, and God #2:25 Lit knew themtook notice of them.

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Exodus 2: NASB2020

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