1A 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 box for him and coated it with bitumen and with pitch. And she put the child in it and put it among the rushes by the bank of the river. 4And his sister stood at a distance, to see what would be done to him.

5Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe at the river. Her maidens walked along by the riverside. She saw the box among the rushes, and sent her handmaid to get it. 6She opened it, and saw the child, and look, the baby cried. And she had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children." 7Then 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?" 8Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." The maiden went and called the child's mother. 9Pharaoh'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 Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, and said, "Because I drew him out of the water."

11It 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. 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 look, 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 prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?" Moses was afraid, and said, "Surely this thing is known."

15Now 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.

16Now the priest of Midian 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 Moses stood up and helped them, and drew water for them, and watered their flock. 18When they came to Reuel, 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." 21And Moses was content to dwell with the man. And he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter in marriage. 22She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, 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 the children of 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 Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25God saw the children of Israel, and God took notice.