Exodus 2
2
Moses’ birth
1Now a man from Levi’s household married a Levite woman. 2The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that the baby was healthy and beautiful, so she hid him for three months. 3When she couldn’t hide him any longer, she took a reed basket and sealed it up with black tar. She put the child in the basket and set the basket among the reeds at the riverbank. 4The baby’s older sister stood watch nearby to see what would happen to him.
5Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, while her women servants walked along beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds, and she sent one of her servants to bring it to her. 6When she opened it, she saw the child. The boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. She said, “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children.”
7Then the baby’s sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Would you like me to go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”
8Pharaoh’s daughter agreed, “Yes, do that.” 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’ll pay you for your work.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. 10After the child had grown up, she brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I pulled him out#2.10 Heb mashah sounds like Moses (moshe). of the water.”
Moses runs away to Midian
11One day after Moses had become an adult, he went out among his people and he saw their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12He looked around to make sure no one else was there. Then he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
13When Moses went out the next day, he saw two Hebrew men fighting with each other. Moses said to the one who had started the fight, “Why are you abusing your fellow Hebrew?”
14He replied, “Who made you a boss or judge over us? Are you planning to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?”
Then Moses was afraid when he realized: They obviously know what I did. 15When Pharaoh heard about it, he tried to kill Moses.
But Moses ran away from Pharaoh and settled down in the land of Midian. One day Moses was sitting by a well. 16Now there was a Midianite priest who had seven daughters. The daughters came to draw water and fill the troughs so that their father’s flock could drink. 17But some shepherds came along and rudely chased them away. Moses got up, rescued the women, and gave their flock water to drink.
18When they went back home to their father Reuel,#2.18 Also called Jethro he asked, “How were you able to come back home so soon today?”
19They replied, “An Egyptian man rescued us from a bunch of shepherds. Afterward, he even helped us draw water to let the flock drink.”
20Reuel said to his daughters, “So where is he? Why did you leave this man? Invite him to eat a meal with us.”
21Moses agreed to come and live with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses as his wife. 22She gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, “because,” he said, “I’ve been an immigrant#2.22 Heb ger sounds like Gershom. living in a foreign land.”
23A long time passed, and the Egyptian king died. The Israelites were still groaning because of their hard work. They cried out, and their cry to be rescued from the hard work rose up to God. 24God heard their cry of grief, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25God looked at the Israelites, and God understood.
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Exodus 2
2
Baby Moses
1There was a man from the family of Levi who decided to marry a woman from the tribe of Levi.#2:1 woman … Levi Literally, “the daughter of Levi.” See Ex. 6:20; Num. 26:59. 2She became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy. The mother saw how beautiful the baby was and hid him for three months. 3She hid him for as long as she could. After three months she made a basket and covered it with tar so that it would float. Then she put the baby in the basket and put the basket in the river in the tall grass. 4The baby’s sister stayed and watched to see what would happen to the baby.
5Just then, Pharaoh’s daughter went to the river to bathe. She saw the basket in the tall grass. Her servants were walking beside the river, so she told one of them to go get the basket. 6The king’s daughter opened the basket and saw a baby boy. The baby was crying and she felt sorry for him. Then she noticed that it was one of the Hebrew#2:6 Hebrew Or “Israelite.” Also in verses 7, 11, 13. babies.
7The baby’s sister was still hiding. She stood and asked the king’s daughter, “Do you want me to go find a Hebrew woman who can nurse the baby and help you care for it?”
8The king’s daughter said, “Yes, please.”
So the girl went and brought the baby’s own mother.
9The king’s daughter said to the mother, “Take this baby and feed him for me. I’ll pay you to take care of him.”
So the woman took her baby and cared for him. 10The baby grew, and after some time, the woman gave the baby to the king’s daughter. The king’s daughter accepted the baby as her own son. She named him Moses#2:10 Moses This name is like a Hebrew word meaning “to pull or draw out.” because she had pulled him from the water.
Moses Helps His People
11Moses grew and became a man. He saw that his own people, the Hebrews, were forced to work very hard. One day he saw an Egyptian man beating a Hebrew man. 12Moses looked around and saw that no one was watching, so he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand.
13The next day Moses saw two Hebrew men fighting each other. He saw that one man was wrong and said to him, “Why are you hurting your neighbor?”
14The man answered, “Did anyone say you could be our ruler and judge? Tell me, will you kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday#2:14 yesterday This word is from the ancient Greek version.?”
Then Moses was afraid. He thought to himself, “Now everyone knows what I did.”
15Pharaoh heard about what Moses did, so he decided to kill him. But Moses ran away from Pharaoh and went to the land of Midian.
Moses in Midian
Moses stopped near a well in Midian. 16There was a priest there who had seven daughters. These girls came to that well to get water for their father’s sheep. They were trying to fill the water trough with water. 17But there were some shepherds there who chased the girls away and would not let them get water. So Moses helped the girls and gave water to their animals.
18Then they went back to their father, Reuel.#2:18 Reuel He is also called Jethro. He asked them, “Why have you come home early today?”
19The girls answered, “The shepherds chased us away, but an Egyptian rescued us. He got water for us and gave it to our animals.”
20So Reuel said to his daughters, “Where is this man? Why did you leave him? Go invite him to eat with us.”
21Moses was happy to stay with that man. Reuel let Moses marry his daughter, Zipporah. 22Zipporah became pregnant and had a son. Moses named him Gershom#2:22 Gershom This name is like the Hebrew words meaning “a stranger there.” because Moses was a stranger in a land that was not his own.
God Decides to Help Israel
23A long time passed and that king of Egypt died. But the Israelites were still forced to work very hard. They cried for help, and God heard them. 24God heard their painful cries and remembered the agreement he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25God saw the troubles of the Israelites, and he knew that he would soon help them.
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