Exodus 2:15–25

¹⁵When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.

So Moses fled from Pharaoh. He settled in the land of Midian and sat down by a well.^{* 16}The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. ¹⁷But some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses got up and came to their defense and watered their flock.^{* 18}When they returned to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come back so soon today?”^{* 19}They said, “An Egyptian helped us against the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” ²⁰He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave the man? Invite him to share a meal.”^{* 21}Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage.^{* 22}She bore a son, and he named him Gershom,^c for he said, “I have been an alien residing in a foreign land.”^*

²³After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Their cry for help rose up to God from their slavery.^{* 24}God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.^{* 25}God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them.^*