¶ And there went a man of the house¹ of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw² him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

And when she could not³ longer hide him, she took for him an ark⁴ of bulrushes⁵, and daubed it with slime⁶ and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.

⁷And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

¶ And the daughter⁸ of Pharaoh came down to wash herself⁹ at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she¹⁰ saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion¹¹ on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

¹²Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go¹³. And the maid went and called the child's mother¹⁴.

And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take¹⁵ this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.

¶ And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he¹⁶ became her son. And she called his name Moses¹⁷: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

¶ And it came to pass in those days, when Moses¹⁸ was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens¹⁹: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.

And he looked²⁰ this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew²¹ the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said²² to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?

And he said, Who²³ made thee a prince²⁴ and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses²⁵ feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled²⁶ from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian²⁷: and he sat down²⁸ by a well.

¶ Now the priest²⁹ of Midian had seven daughters: and they came³⁰ and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

And the shepherds³¹ came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered³² their flock.

And when they came to Reuel³³ their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?

And they said, An Egyptian³⁴ delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also³⁵ drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.

¶ And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him,³⁶ that he may eat bread.

And Moses was content³⁷ to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah³⁸ his daughter.

And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom³⁹: for he said⁴⁰, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

¶ And it came to pass in process⁴¹ of time, that the king⁴² of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed⁴³ by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry⁴⁴ came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

And God heard⁴⁵ their groaning, and God remembered⁴⁶ his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

And God looked⁴⁷ upon the children of Israel, and God⁴⁸ had respect⁴⁹ unto them.