Exodus 2
World English Bible (WEB)
1 Ref A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife.
2 Ref The woman conceived, and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.
3 Ref When 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.
4 Ref His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him.
5 Ref Pharaoh'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 handmaid to get it.
6 Ref She 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."
7 Ref Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?"
8 Ref Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." The maiden went and called the child's mother.
9 Pharaoh'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.
10 Ref The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses,{"Moses" sounds like the Hebrew for "draw out".} and said, "Because I drew him out of the water."
11 Ref It happened in those days, when Moses 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.
12 Ref He 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.
13 Ref He 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?"
14 Ref He said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?" Moses was afraid, and said, "Surely this thing is known."
15 Ref Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.
16 Ref Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
17 Ref The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18 Ref When they came to Reuel, their father, he said, "How is it that you have returned so early today?"
19 Ref They said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock."
20 Ref He said to his daughters, "Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread."
21 Ref Moses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter.
22 Ref She bore a son, and he named him Gershom,{"Gershom" sounds like the Hebrew for "an alien there."} for he said, "I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land."
23 Ref It happened in the course of those many days, that the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.
24 Ref God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25 Ref God saw the children of Israel, and God was concerned about them.
American Standard-ASV1901 (ASV)
1 Ref And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2 Ref And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
3 Ref And 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.
4 Ref And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.
5 Ref And 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.
6 Ref And 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.
7 Ref Then 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?
8 Ref And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maiden 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 Ref And 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.
11 Ref And 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.
12 Ref And 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.
13 Ref And 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?
14 Ref And 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.
15 Ref 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 Ref Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
17 Ref And the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18 Ref And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to-day?
19 Ref And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.
20 Ref 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 Ref And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
22 Ref And she bare a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.
23 Ref And 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.
24 Ref And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25 Ref And God saw the children of Israel, and God took knowledge `of them'.
Bible in Basic English (BBE)
1 Ref Now a man of the house of Levi took as his wife a daughter of Levi.
2 Ref And she became with child and gave birth to a Son; and when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she kept him secretly for three months.
3 Ref And when she was no longer able to keep him secret, she made him a basket out of the stems of water-plants, pasting sticky earth over it to keep the water out; and placing the baby in it she put it among the plants by the edge of the Nile.
4 Ref And his sister took her place at a distance to see what would become of him.
5 Ref Now Pharaoh's daughter came down to the Nile to take a bath, while her women were walking by the riverside; and she saw the basket among the river-plants, and sent her servant-girl to get it.
6 Ref And opening it, she saw the child, and he was crying. And she had pity on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
7 Ref Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, May I go and get you one of the Hebrew women to give him the breast?
8 Ref And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the girl went and got the child's mother.
9 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Take the child away and give it milk for me, and I will give you payment. And the woman took the child and gave it milk at her breast.
10 Ref And when the child was older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son, and she gave him the name Moses, Because, she said, I took him out of the water.
11 Ref Now when Moses had become a man, one day he went out to his people and saw how hard their work was; and he saw an Egyptian giving blows to a Hebrew, one of his people.
12 Ref And turning this way and that, and seeing no one, he put the Egyptian to death, covering his body with sand.
13 Ref And he went out the day after and saw two of the Hebrews fighting: and he said to him who was in the wrong, Why are you fighting your brother?
14 Ref And he said, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? are you going to put me to death as you did the Egyptian? And Moses was in fear, and said, It is clear that the thing has come to light.
15 Ref Now when Pharaoh had news of this, he would have put Moses to death. But Moses went in flight from Pharaoh into the land of Midian: and he took his seat by a water-spring.
16 Ref Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came to get water for their father's flock.
17 Ref And the keepers of the sheep came up and were driving them away; but Moses got up and came to their help, watering their flock for them.
18 Ref And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that you have come back so quickly today?
19 Ref And they said, An Egyptian came to our help against the keepers of sheep and got water for us and gave it to the flock.
20 Ref And he said to his daughters, Where is he? why have you let the man go? make him come in and give him a meal.
21 Ref And Moses was happy to go on living with the man; and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.
22 Ref And she gave birth to a son, to whom he gave the name Gershom: for he said, I have been living in a strange land.
23 Ref Now after a long time the king of Egypt came to his end: and the children of Israel were crying in their grief under the weight of their work, and their cry for help came to the ears of God.
24 Ref And at the sound of their weeping the agreement which God had made with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob came to his mind.
25 Ref And God's eyes were turned to the children of Israel and he gave them the knowledge of himself.