Exodus 2:11-25

Moses 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. Moses looked around and didn’t see anyone. So he killed the Egyptian. Then he hid his body in the sand. The 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?” The 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.” When 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. A 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. Some shepherds came along and chased the girls away. But Moses got up and helped them. Then he gave water to their flock. The girls returned to their father Reuel. He asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?” They answered, “An Egyptian saved us from the shepherds. He even got water for us and gave it to the flock.” “Where is he?” Reuel asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.” Moses agreed to stay with the man. And the man gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses to be his wife. Zipporah had a son by him. Moses named him Gershom. That’s because Moses said, “I’m an outsider in a strange land.” After 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. God heard their groans. He remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites with concern for them.