1 And a man of the house of Levi went and took to wife a daughter of Levi,
2 who conceived and gave birth to a son, and seeing that he was beautiful, she hid him three months.
3 And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes and daubed it with slime and with pitch and put the child in it, and she laid it in the reeds by the river’s brink.
4 And his sister stood afar off to see what would happen to him.
5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river, and walking with her maidens along by the river’s side, she saw the ark among the reeds; she sent her maid to bring it.
6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and, behold, the babe wept. And having compassion on him, she said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.
7 Then his sister said unto 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 when the child grew, she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, for 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 a Hebrew, one of his brethren.
12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
13 And when he went out the next day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together, and he said to him that did the wrong, Why smitest thou thy fellow?
14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Doest thou intend to kill me as thou killed 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 who came and drew water to fill the troughs to water their father’s sheep.
17 But the pastors came and drove them away. Then Moses stood up and defended them and watered their sheep.
18 And when they returned unto Reuel, their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon today?
19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the pastors and also drew water enough for us and watered the sheep.
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 gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershon, 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 sons of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God from their bondage.
24 And God heard their groaning and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25 And God looked upon the sons of Israel, and God recognized them.