Exodus 2:16-25 ▼

16 Meanwhile, the seven daughters of a certain Midianite priest would come to draw water in order to fill water troughs for their father's sheep.

17 Some shepherds came to drive them away, but Moses got up, came to their rescue, and watered their sheep.

18 When they returned to their father Reuel, he asked, |Why have you returned so quickly today?|

19 |An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,| they replied, |and he even drew water for us and watered the sheep!|

20 |Then where is he?| He asked his daughters. |Why did you leave the man behind? Go invite him to have something to eat.|

21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.

22 Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, because he used to say, |I became an alien in a foreign land.|

23 The king of Egypt eventually died, and the Israelis groaned because of the bondage. They cried out, and their cry for deliverance from slavery ascended to God.

24 God heard their groaning and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

25 God watched the Israelis and took notice of them.