Exodus 2

1And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

1A man from the tribe of Levi married a woman who was also from the tribe of Levi.

2And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

2The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a healthy, beautiful child, she hid him for three months.

3And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch; and she put the child therein, and laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.

3When she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in it and placed it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River.

4And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.

4The baby’s sister stood some distance away to see what would happen to him.

5And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river-side; and she saw the ark among the flags, and sent her handmaid to fetch it.

5Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the river to bathe, while her attendants walked along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant girl to get it.

6And she opened it, and saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.

6When she opened it, she saw the baby, and he was crying. She felt sorry for him and said, 'This is one of the Hebrew babies.'

7Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

7Then the baby's sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, 'Should I go and find a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for you?'

8And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maiden went and called the child’s mother.

8'Yes, go!' Pharaoh’s daughter replied. So the girl went and got the baby’s own mother.

9And 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.

9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, 'Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.' So the woman took the child and nursed him.

10And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, and said, Because I drew him out of the water.

10When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, 'Because I pulled him out of the water.'

11And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown up, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

11Years later, after Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews. He saw how hard they were forced to work, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew man, one of his own people.

12And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

12After looking all around and seeing no one, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.

13And he went out the second day, and, behold, two men of the Hebrews were striving together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?

13The next day he went out again and saw two Hebrew men fighting. He said to the one who started it, 'Why are you hitting your fellow countryman?'

14And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? thinkest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely the thing is known.

14The man replied, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Are you planning to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?' Then Moses was afraid and thought, 'Everyone must know what I did.'

15Now 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.

15When Pharaoh heard what had happened, he tried to have Moses killed. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian, where he sat down by a well.

16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

16The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to the well to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s sheep.

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

17But some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses stood up and defended the women, and then he watered their flock for them.

18And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to-day?

18When the girls returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, 'How did you get back so early today?'

19And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.

19They answered, 'An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.'

20And 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.

20'Where is he?' Reuel asked his daughters. 'Why did you leave him there? Invite him to come and have a meal with us.'

21And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

21Moses agreed to stay with the man, and Reuel gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.

22And she bare a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.

22Later, she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, 'I have been a foreigner in a strange land.'

23And it came to pass in the course of those many days, 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.

23Over a long period of time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry rose up to God because of their hard labor.

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

24God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

25And God saw the children of Israel, and God took knowledge of them.

25God looked at the people of Israel and was concerned for them.