Exodus 2

The Birth of Moses

2About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married.H3212H376H1004H3878H3947H1323H38782The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months.H802H2029H3205H1121H7200H2896H6845H7969H33913But when 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 the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River.H3201H5750H6845H3947H8392H1573H2560H2564H2203H7760H3206H7760H5488H2975H81934The baby's sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him.H269H3320H7350H3045H62135Soon Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her.H1323H6547H3381H7364H2975H5291H1980H2975H3027H7200H8392H8432H5488H7971H519H39476When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This must be one of the Hebrew children," she said.H6605H7200H3206H5288H1058H2550H559H5680H32067Then the baby's sister approached the princess. "Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" she asked.H559H269H6547H1323H3212H7121H3243H5680H802H3243H32068"Yes, do!" the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby's mother.H6547H1323H559H3212H5959H3212H7121H3206H5179"Take this baby and nurse him for me," the princess told the baby's mother. "I will pay you for your help." So the woman took her baby home and nursed him.H6547H1323H559H3212H3206H3212H3243H5414H7939H802H3947H3206H513410Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses

, for she explained, "I lifted him out of the water."H3206H1431H935H6547H1323H1121H7121H8034H4872H559H4871H4325

Moses Escapes to Midian

11Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews.H3117H4872H1431H3318H251H7200H5450H7200H4713H376H5221H5680H25112After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.H6437H3541H3541H7200H376H5221H4713H2934H234413The next day, when Moses went out to visit his people again, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. "Why are you beating up your friend?" Moses said to the one who had started the fight.H3318H8145H3117H8147H582H5680H5327H559H7563H5221H745314The man replied, "Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?" Then Moses was afraid, thinking, "Everyone knows what I did."H559H7760H376H8269H8199H559H2026H2026H4713H4872H3372H559H403H1697H304515And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian. When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well.H6547H8085H1697H1245H2026H4872H4872H1272H6440H6547H3427H776H4080H3427H87516Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came as usual to draw water and fill the water troughs for their father's flocks.H3548H4080H7651H1323H935H1802H4390H7298H8248H1H662917But some other shepherds came and chased them away. So Moses jumped up and rescued the girls from the shepherds. Then he drew water for their flocks.H7462H935H1644H4872H6965H3467H8248H662918When the girls returned to Reuel, their father, he asked, "Why are you back so soon today?"H935H7467H1H559H4069H935H4116H311719"An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds," they answered. "And then he drew water for us and watered our flocks."H559H4713H376H5337H3027H7462H1802H1802H8248H662920"Then where is he?" their father asked. "Why did you leave him there? Invite him to come and eat with us."H559H1323H5800H376H7121H398H389921Moses accepted the invitation, and he settled there with him. In time, Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife.H4872H2974H3427H376H5414H4872H6855H132322Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom

, for he explained, "I have been a foreigner in a foreign land."H3205H1121H7121H8034H1647H559H1616H5237H77623Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God.H1992H7227H3117H4428H4714H4191H1121H3478H584H4480H5656H2199H7775H5927H430H565624God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.H430H8085H5009H430H2142H1285H85H3327H329025He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act

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