Exodus

The second book of Moses, called Exodus, chapter 2, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 2 New English Translation

The Birth of the Deliverer

   1 A man from the household of Levi married a woman who was a descendant of Levi. 2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a healthy child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him and sealed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile. 4 His sister stationed herself at a distance to find out what would happen to him.
   5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself by the Nile, while her attendants were walking alongside the river, and she saw the basket among the reeds. She sent one of her attendants, took it, 6 opened it, and saw the child - a boy, crying! - and she felt compassion for him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."
   7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get a nursing woman for you from the Hebrews, so that she may nurse the child for you?" 8 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Yes, do so." So the young girl went and got the child's mother. 9 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 child and nursed him.
   10 When the child grew older she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "Because I drew him from the water."

The Presumption of the Deliverer

   11 In those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and observed their hard labor, and he saw an Egyptian man attacking a Hebrew man, one of his own people. 12 He looked this way and that and saw that no one was there, and then he attacked the Egyptian and concealed the body in the sand. 13 When he went out the next day, there were two Hebrew men fighting. So he said to the one who was in the wrong, "Why are you attacking your fellow Hebrew?"
   14 The man replied, "Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Are you planning to kill me like you killed that Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, thinking, "Surely what I did has become known." 15 When Pharaoh heard about this event, he sought to kill Moses. So Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he settled by a certain well.
   16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and began to draw water and fill the troughs in order to water their father's flock. 17 When some shepherds came and drove them away, Moses came up and defended them and then watered their flock. 18 So when they came home to their father Reuel, he asked, "Why have you come home so early today?" 19 They said, "An Egyptian man rescued us from the shepherds, and he actually drew water for us and watered the flock!" 20 He said to his daughters, "So where is he? Why in the world did you leave the man? Call him, so that he may eat a meal with us."
   21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. 22 When she bore a son, Moses named him Gershom, for he said, "I have become a resident foreigner in a foreign land."

The Call of the Deliverer

   23 During that long period of time the king of Egypt died, and the Israelites groaned because of the slave labor. They cried out, and their desperate cry because of their slave labor went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, 25 God saw the Israelites, and God understood

King James Version

   1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
   2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
   3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
   4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
   5 ¶ And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
   6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
   7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
   8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.
   9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
   10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
   11 ¶ And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
   12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
   13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
   14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
   15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
   16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
   17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
   18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?
   19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.
   20 And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.
   21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
   22 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.
   23 ¶ And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
   24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
   25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.