The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

(Acts 7:20–22; Hebrews 11:23)

And there goes a man of the house of Levi, and he takes the daughter of Levi,

and the woman conceives, and bears a son, and she sees him, that he [is] beautiful, and she hides him [for] three months,

and she has not been able to hide him anymore, and she takes an ark of rushes for him, and covers it with bitumen and with pitch, and puts the boy in it, and puts [it] in the weeds by the edge of the River;

and his sister stations herself far off, to know what is done to him.

And a daughter of Pharaoh comes down to bathe at the River, and her girls are walking by the side of the River, and she sees the ark in the midst of the weeds, and sends her handmaid, and she takes it,

and opens, and sees him—the boy, and behold, a child weeping! And she has pity on him and says, “This is [one] of the Hebrews’ children.”

And his sister says to the daughter of Pharaoh, “Do I go? When I have called a suckling woman of the Hebrews for you, then she suckles the boy for you”;

and the daughter of Pharaoh says to her, “Go”; and the virgin goes, and calls the mother of the boy,

and the daughter of Pharaoh says to her, “Take this boy away, and suckle him for me, and I give your hire”; and the woman takes the boy, and suckles him.

And the boy grows, and she brings him to the daughter of Pharaoh, and he is to her for a son, and she calls his name Moses, and says, “Because I have drawn him from the water.”

The Rejection and Flight of Moses

(Acts 7:23–29)

And it comes to pass, in those days, that Moses is grown, and he goes out to his brothers, and looks on their burdens, and sees a man, an Egyptian, striking a man, a Hebrew, [one] of his brothers,

and he turns here and there, and sees that there is no man, and strikes the Egyptian, and hides him in the sand.

And he goes out on the second day, and behold, two men, Hebrews, are striving, and he says to the wrongdoer, “Why do you strike your neighbor?”

And he says, “Who set you for a head and judge over us? Are you saying [it] to slay me as you have slain the Egyptian?” And Moses fears and says, “Surely the thing has been known.”

And Pharaoh hears of this thing, and seeks to slay Moses, and Moses flees from the face of Pharaoh, and dwells in the land of Midian, and dwells by the well.

And to a priest of Midian [are] seven daughters, and they come and draw, and fill the troughs to water the flock of their father,

and the shepherds come and drive them away, and Moses arises, and saves them, and waters their flock.

And they come to their father Reuel, and he says, “Why have you hurried to come in today?”

And they say, “A man, an Egyptian, has delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and has also diligently drawn for us, and waters the flock”;

and he says to his daughters, “And where [is] he? Why [is] this [that] you left the man? Call for him, and he eats bread.”

And Moses is willing to dwell with the man, and he gives his daughter Zipporah to Moses,

and she bears a son, and he calls his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a strange land.”

God Hears the Cry of the Israelites

And it comes to pass during these many days, that the king of Egypt dies, and the sons of Israel sigh because of the service, and cry, and their cry goes up to God, because of the service;

and God hears their groaning, and God remembers His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob;

and God sees the sons of Israel, and God knows.

(Acts 7:20–22; Hebrews 11:23)

A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife.

The woman conceived and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.

When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.

His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him.

Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at the river. Her maidens walked along by the riverside. She saw the basket among the reeds, and sent her servant to get it.

She opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”

Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” The young woman went and called the child’s mother.

Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” The woman took the child, and nursed it.

The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses,(a) and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

The Rejection and Flight of Moses

(Acts 7:23–29)

In those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers and saw their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers.

He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

He went out the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?”

He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.”

Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

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

When they came to Reuel, their father, he said, “How is it that you have returned so early today?”

They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.”

He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.”

Moses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter.

She bore a son, and he named him Gershom,(b) for he said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.”

God Hears the Cry of the Israelites

In the course of those many days, the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.

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

God saw the children of Israel, and God understood.

Footnotes

(a)2:10 “Moses” sounds like the Hebrew for “draw out”.

(b)2:22 “Gershom” sounds like the Hebrew for “an alien there”.