Exodus 2

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 There was a man descended from Levi who had taken a woman of Levi as his wife.	1 Now a certain man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,
2 She conceived and gave birth to a son and, seeing what a fine child he was, she kept him hidden forthree months.	2 who conceived and bore a son. Seeing that he was a goodly child, she hid him for three months.
3 When she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him; coating it with bitumen and pitch,she put the child inside and laid it among the reeds at the River's edge.	3 When she could hide him no longer, she took a papyrus basket, daubed it with bitumen and pitch, and putting the child in it, placed it among the reeds on the river bank.
4 His sister took up position some distance away to see what would happen to him.	4 His sister stationed herself at a distance to find out what would happen to him.
5 Now Pharaoh's daughter went down to bathe in the river, while her maids walked along the riverside.Among the reeds she noticed the basket, and she sent her maid to fetch it.	5 Pharaoh's daughter came down to the river to bathe, while her maids walked along the river bank. Noticing the basket among the reeds, she sent her handmaid to fetch it.
6 She opened it and saw the child: the baby was crying. Feeling sorry for it, she said, 'This is one of thelittle Hebrews.'	6 On opening it, she looked, and lo, there was a baby boy, crying! She was moved with pity for him and said, "It is one of the Hebrews' children."
7 The child's sister then said to Pharaoh's daughter, 'Shal I go and find you a nurse among the Hebrewwomen to nurse the child for you?'	7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?"
8 'Yes,' said Pharaoh's daughter, and the girl went and cal ed the child's own mother.	8 "Yes, do so," she answered. So the maiden went and called the child's own mother.
9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Take this child away and nurse it for me. I shal pay you myself fordoing so.' So the woman took the child away and nursed it.	9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will repay you." The woman therefore took the child and nursed it.
10 When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter who treated him like a son; shenamed him Moses 'because', she said, 'I drew him out of the water.'	10 When the child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son and called him Moses; for she said, "I drew him out of the water."
11 It happened one day, when Moses was grown up, that he went to see his kinsmen. While he waswatching their forced labour he also saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his kinsmen.	11 On one occasion, after Moses had grown up, when he visited his kinsmen and witnessed their forced labor, he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his own kinsmen.
12 Looking this way and that and seeing no one in sight, he kil ed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.	12 Looking about and seeing no one, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
13 On the following day he came back, and there were two Hebrews, fighting. He said to the man whowas in the wrong, 'What do you mean by hitting your kinsman?'	13 The next day he went out again, and now two Hebrews were fighting! So he asked the culprit, "Why are you striking your fellow Hebrew?"
14 'And who appointed you', the man retorted, 'to be prince over us and judge? Do you intend to kil meas you kil ed the Egyptian?' Moses was frightened. 'Clearly that business has come to light,' he thought.	14 But he replied, "Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses became afraid and thought, "The affair must certainly be known."
15 When Pharaoh heard of the matter, he tried to put Moses to death, but Moses fled from Pharaoh. Hewent into Midianite territory and sat down beside a wel .	15 Pharaoh, too, heard of the affair and sought to put him to death. But Moses fled from him and stayed in the land of Midian. As he was seated there by a well,
16 Now there was a priest of Midian with seven daughters. They used to come to draw water and fil thetroughs to water their father's flock.	16 seven daughters of a priest of Midian came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock.
17 Some shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses sprang to their help and watered their flock.	17 But some shepherds came and drove them away. Then Moses got up and defended them and watered their flock.
18 When they returned to their father Reuel, he said to them, 'Why are you back so early today?'	18 When they returned to their father Reuel, he said to them, "How is it you have returned so soon today?"
19 'An Egyptian protected us from the shepherds,' they said, 'and he even drew water for us and wateredthe flock.'	19 They answered, "An Egyptian saved us from the interference of the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock!"
20 'And where is he?' he asked his daughters. 'Why did you leave the man there? Ask him to eat with us.'	20 "Where is the man?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him there? Invite him to have something to eat."
21 Moses agreed to stay on there with the man, who gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage.	21 Moses agreed to live with him, and the man gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage.
22 She gave birth to a son, whom he named Gershom 'because', he said, 'I am an alien in a foreign land.'	22 She bore him a son, whom he named Gershom; for he said, "I am a stranger in a foreign land."
23 During this long period the king of Egypt died. The Israelites, groaning in their slavery, cried out forhelp and from the depths of their slavery their cry came up to God.	23 A long time passed, during which the king of Egypt died. Still the Israelites groaned and cried out because of their slavery. As their cry for release went up to God,
24 God heard their groaning; God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.	24 he heard their groaning and was mindful of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
25 God saw the Israelites and took note.	25 He saw the Israelites and knew. . . .