A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife. 2The woman conceived, and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3When 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. 4His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him. 5Firaun’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-girl to get it. 6She 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.“
7Then his sister said to Firaun’s daughter, “Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?“
8Firaun’s daughter said to her, “Go.“
The maiden went and called the child’s mother. 9Firaun’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. 10The child grew, and she brought him to Firaun’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Musa,[1] and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.“
11It happened in those days, when Musa had grown up, that he went out to his brothers, and looked at their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers. 12He 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.
13He 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?“
14He said, “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?“[2]
Musa was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.“ 15Now when Firaun heard this thing, he sought to kill Musa. But Musafled from the face of Firaun, and lived in the land of Madyan, and he sat down by a well.
16Now the priest of Madyan had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.17The shepherds came and drove them away; but Musa stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 18When they came to Shuaib, their father, he said, “How is it that you have returned so early today?“
19They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.“
20He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.“
21Musa was content to dwell with the man. He gave Musa Zipporah, his daughter. 22She bore a son, and he named him Gershom,[3] for he said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.“
23It happened in the course of those many days, that the king of Egypt died, and Bani-Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Ibrahim, with Ishaq, and with Yaqub. 25God saw Bani-Israel, and God was concerned about them.
[1]2:10 or “Moses“, which sounds like the Hebrew for “draw out“.
[2] 2:14 Quoted in the Injil, Acts 7:27,28.
[3] 2:22 “Gershom“ sounds like the Hebrew for “an alien there.“