2:1 A man from the tribe¹ of Levi married² a daughter of Levi.³ 2:2 And the woman became pregnant⁴ and gave birth to a son. When⁵ she saw that⁶ he was a healthy⁷ child, she hid him for three months. 2:3 But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus basket⁸ for him, and sealed it with bitumin and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and placed it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.⁹ 2:4 And his sister stationed herself¹⁰ at a distance, to find out¹¹ what would¹² be done to him.

2:5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh¹³ came down to wash herself¹⁴ by the Nile, and her attendants were walking along the side of the river.¹⁵ When she saw¹⁶ the basket among the reeds, she sent her servant¹⁷ and she retrieved it.¹⁸ 2:6 She opened¹⁹ the basket²⁰ and saw the child²¹—and he²² was crying.²³ And she had compassion²⁴ on him, and said, “This is one of the children of the Hebrews.”

2:7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get²⁵ a nurse for you from the Hebrew women,²⁶ that she may nurse²⁷ the child for you?” 2:8 The daughter of Pharaoh said to her, “Go.” So the young girl²⁸ went and got²⁹ the child’s mother.³⁰ 2:9 And the daughter of Pharaoh said to the woman,³¹ “Take this child³² and nurse him for me; and I will pay your³³ wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it.

2:10 When the child grew older³⁴ she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh, and he became her son.³⁵ She called his name Moses, saying, “for I drew him from the water.”³⁶

2:11 And it happened in those days³⁸ when³⁹ Moses had grown up that he went out to his people⁴⁰ and observed⁴¹ their hard labor. And he saw an Egyptian man attacking⁴² a Hebrew man, one of his brothers. 2:12 He looked this way and that⁴³ and saw that no one was there,⁴⁴ and so he killed⁴⁵ the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 2:13 When he went out⁴⁶ the next day,⁴⁷ there were⁴⁸ two Hebrew men fighting. So he said to the one who was in the wrong,⁴⁹ “Why are you striking⁵⁰ your fellow?”⁵¹

2:14 And the man⁵² said, “Who made you a prince⁵³ and a judge over us? Are you planning⁵⁴ to kill me just as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, thinking,⁵⁵ “Surely the deed has become known.” 2:15 When Pharaoh heard⁵⁶ about this matter, he sought to kill⁵⁷ Moses. So Moses fled⁵⁸ from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian.⁵⁹ He settled⁶⁰ by a well.⁶¹

2:16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and began to draw⁶² water⁶³ and fill⁶⁴ the troughs in order to water their father’s flocks. 2:17 And then some⁶⁵ shepherds came and drove them away;⁶⁶ but Moses rose up and defended them,⁶⁷ and then watered their flock. 2:18 So when the girls⁶⁸ came home⁶⁹ to Reuel⁷⁰ their father, he said, “Why have you come home so early⁷¹ today?” 2:19 And they said, “An Egyptian man rescued us⁷² from the hand of the shepherds, and he actually⁷³ drew water for us and watered our flock!” 2:20 He said⁷⁴ to his daughters, “So where is he?⁷⁵ Why in the world⁷⁶ did you leave him? Call him, so that he may eat⁷⁷ a meal.”⁷⁸

2:21 Moses agreed⁷⁹ to live with the man. And he gave Zipporah, his daughter, to Moses. 2:22 When⁸⁰ she bore a son, Moses⁸¹ called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land.”⁸²

2:23 It happened⁸⁴ after that long period of time⁸⁵ that the king of Egypt died. And the Israelites⁸⁶ groaned because of the slave-labor and they cried out; and their desperate cry⁸⁷ about their slave-labor went up to God. 2:24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered⁸⁸ his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 2:25 God saw⁸⁹ the Israelites and had compassion.⁹⁰