Exodus 2:11–25

¹¹Now it came about in those days, ^awhen Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their ^1bhard labors; and ^che saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

¹²So he ¹looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he ^astruck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

¹³He went out ^athe next day, and behold, two Hebrews were ¹fighting with each other; and he said to the ²offender, “Why are you striking your companion?”

¹⁴But he said, “^aWho made you a ¹prince 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.”

Moses Escapes to Midian

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

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

¹⁷Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but ^aMoses stood up and helped them and watered their flock.

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

¹⁹So they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew the water for us and watered the flock.”

²⁰He said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him ¹to have something to eat.”

^21aMoses was willing to dwell 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.”

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

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

^25aGod saw the sons of Israel, and God ¹took notice of them.