Exodus 2:11–25

Moses Flees to Midian

¹¹Now it happened in those days, ^athat Moses had grown up. And he went out to his brothers and looked on their ^1bhard labors. And ^che saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers.

¹²So he turned this way and that, and he saw that there was no one around. So he ^astruck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

¹³Then he went out ^athe next day, and behold, two Hebrews were struggling with each other; and he said to the ¹wicked one, “Why are you striking your companion?”

¹⁴But he said, “^aWho made you a ¹ruler or a judge over us? Are you ²intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.”

¹⁵And Pharaoh heard of this matter, so he sought to kill Moses. But ^aMoses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he ¹sat down ^bby a well.

¹⁶Now ^athe priest of Midian had seven daughters; and ^bthey came and drew water and filled the troughs to give water to their father’s flock to drink.

¹⁷Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but ^aMoses rose up and saved them and gave water to their flock to drink.

¹⁸Then they came to ^aReuel their father, and he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?”

¹⁹So they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he actually even drew the water for us and gave water to the flock to drink.”

²⁰And he said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Call him so that he may eat bread.”

^21aAnd Moses was willing to settle down with the man, and he gave his daughter ^bZipporah to Moses.

²²Then she gave birth to ^aa son, and he named him ¹Gershom, for he said, “I have been ^ba ²sojourner in a foreign land.”

God Hears Israel’s Groaning

²³Now it happened in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel ^asighed because of the slavery, and they cried out; and ^btheir cry for help because of their slavery rose up to God.

²⁴So ^aGod heard their groaning; and God remembered ^bHis covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

^25aAnd God saw the sons of Israel, and God knew them.