Exodus 2
2
Moses’s Birth and Adoption
1Now a man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman. # 2:1 Ex 6:20; Nm 26:59; 1Ch 23:14 2The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son; when she saw that he was beautiful, # 2:2 Or healthy she hid him for three months. # 2:2 Ac 7:20; Heb 11:23 3But when she could no longer hide him, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with asphalt and pitch. She placed the child in it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4Then his sister # 2:4 Ex 15:20; Nm 26:59 stood at a distance in order to see what would happen to him.
5Pharaoh’s daughter went down to bathe at the Nile while her servant girls walked along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds, sent her slave girl, took it, 6opened it, and saw him, the child #— #and there he was, a little boy, crying. She felt sorry for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew boys.”
7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a Hebrew woman who is nursing to nurse the boy for you? ”
8“Go,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. So the girl went and called the boy’s mother. 9Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the boy and nursed him. 10When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, # 2:10 The name Moses sounds like “drawing out” in Hb and “born” in Egyptian. “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
Moses in Midian
11Years later, # 2:11 Lit And it was in those days after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people # 2:11 Lit his brothers and observed their forced labor. # 2:11 Ex 1:11; Ac 7:23; Heb 11:24–26 He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his people. 12Looking all around and seeing no one, he struck the Egyptian dead 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 attacking your neighbor? ” # 2:13 Or fellow Hebrew
14“Who made you a commander and judge over us? ” the man replied. “Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian? ”
Then Moses became afraid and thought, “What I did is certainly known.”
15When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian, # 2:15 Ac 7:29; Heb 11:27 and sat down by a well. # 2:15 Gn 24:11; 29:2
16Now the priest of Midian # 2:16 Ex 3:1; 1Sm 9:11 had seven daughters. They came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17Then some shepherds arrived and drove them away, but Moses came to their rescue and watered their flock. 18When they returned to their father Reuel, # 2:18 Jethro’s clan or last name was Reuel; Ex 3:1.,# 2:18 Ex 3:1; 4:18; Nm 10:29 he asked, “Why have you come back so quickly today? ”
19They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
20“So where is he? ” he asked his daughters. “Why then did you leave the man behind? Invite him to eat dinner.”
21Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah # 2:21 Ex 4:25; 18:2 to Moses in marriage. 22She gave birth to a son whom he named Gershom, # 2:22 In Hb the name Gershom sounds like the phrase “a stranger there.” for he said, “I have been a resident alien # 2:22 Ex 18:3–4; Ac 7:29; Heb 11:13 in a foreign land.”
23After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor, they cried out, # 2:23 Ex 3:7,9; Dt 26:7; Jms 5:4 and their cry for help because of the difficult labor ascended to God. 24God heard their groaning, and God remembered # 2:24 Gn 9:15; Ex 6:5; 1Ch 16:15; Ps 105:8; 106:45; 111:4 his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. # 2:24 Ps 22:23; Lk 1:33,55 25God saw the Israelites, and God knew. # 2:25 Ex 3:7; 4:31; Lk 1:25
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Exodus 2
2
Birth and Youth of Moses
1Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. 2The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. 3When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. 4His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.
5The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. 6When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him, “This must be one of the Hebrews' children,” she said. 7Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child's mother. 9Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. 10When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses,#2.10 Heb Mosheh “because,” she said, “I drew him out#2.10 Heb mashah of the water.”
Moses Flees to Midian
11One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and saw their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsfolk. 12He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13When he went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting; and he said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow Hebrew?” 14He answered, “Who made you a ruler and 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.” 15When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.
But Moses fled from Pharaoh. He settled in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well. 16The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 17But some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses got up and came to their defense and watered their flock. 18When they returned to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come back so soon today?” 19They said, “An Egyptian helped us against the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave the man? Invite him to break bread.” 21Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage. 22She bore a son, and he named him Gershom; for he said, “I have been an alien#2.22 Heb ger residing in a foreign land.”
23After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. 24God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them.
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.