Exodus, 2

1. There was a man descended from Levi who had taken a woman of Levi as his wife.

1. Now a man from the house of Levi went and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

2. She conceived and gave birth to a son and, seeing what a fine child he was, she kept him hidden for three months.

2. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

3. When she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him; coating it with bitumen and pitch, she put the child inside and laid it among the reeds at the River's edge.

3. And when she could hide him no longer she took for him a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with bitumen and pitch; and she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds at the river's brink.

4. His sister took up position some distance away to see what would happen to him.

4. And his sister stood at a distance, to know what would be done to him.

5. Now Pharaoh's daughter went down to bathe in the river, while her maids walked along the riverside. Among the reeds she noticed the basket, and she sent her maid to fetch it.

5. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, and her maidens walked beside the river; she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to fetch it.

6. She opened it and saw the child: the baby was crying. Feeling sorry for it, she said, 'This is one of the little Hebrews.'

6. When she opened it she saw the child; and lo, the babe was crying. She took pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."

7. The child's sister then said to Pharaoh's daughter, 'Shall I go and find you a nurse among the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?'

7. Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?"

8. 'Yes,' said Pharaoh's daughter, and the girl went and called the child's own mother.

8. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." So the girl went and called the child's mother.

9. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Take this child away and nurse it for me. I shall pay you myself for doing so.' So the woman took the child away and nursed it.

9. And 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.

10. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter who treated him like a son; she named him Moses 'because', she said, 'I drew him out of the water.'

10. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son; and she named him Moses, for she said, "Because I drew him out of the water."

11. It happened one day, when Moses was grown up, that he went to see his kinsmen. While he was watching their forced labour he also saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his kinsmen.

11. One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.

12. Looking this way and that and seeing no one in sight, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

12. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

13. On the following day he came back, and there were two Hebrews, fighting. He said to the man who was in the wrong, 'What do you mean by hitting your kinsman?'

13. When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together; and he said to the man that did the wrong, "Why do you strike your fellow?"

14. 'And who appointed you', the man retorted, 'to be prince over us and judge? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?' Moses was frightened. 'Clearly that business has come to light,' he thought.

14. He answered, "Who made you a prince and a 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."

15. When Pharaoh heard of the matter, he tried to put Moses to death, but Moses fled from Pharaoh. He went into Midianite territory and sat down beside a well.

15. When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh, and stayed in the land of Mid'ian; and he sat down by a well.

16. Now there was a priest of Midian with seven daughters. They used to come to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock.

16. Now the priest of Mid'ian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

17. Some shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses sprang to their help and watered their flock.

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

18. When they returned to their father Reuel, he said to them, 'Why are you back so early today?'

18. When they came to their father Reu'el, he said, "How is it that you have come so soon today?"

19. 'An Egyptian protected us from the shepherds,' they said, 'and he even drew water for us and watered the flock.'

19. They said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and even drew water for us and watered the flock."

20. 'And where is he?' he asked his daughters. 'Why did you leave the man there? Ask him to eat with us.'

20. He said to his daughters, "And where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread."

21. Moses agreed to stay on there with the man, who gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage.

21. And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zippo'rah.

22. She gave birth to a son, whom he named Gershom 'because', he said, 'I am an alien in a foreign land.'

22. She bore a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land."

23. During this long period the king of Egypt died. The Israelites, groaning in their slavery, cried out for help and from the depths of their slavery their cry came up to God.

23. In the course of those many days the king of Egypt died. And the people of Israel groaned under their bondage, and cried out for help, and their cry under bondage came up to God.

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

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

25. God saw the Israelites and took note.

25. And God saw the people of Israel, and God knew their condition.