| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. | 1Now a man of the house of Levi married a daughter of Levi, |
| 2The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. | 2and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months. |
| 3But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. | 3But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a papyrus basket and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in the basket and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. |
| 4The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him. | 4And his sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. |
| 5Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her. | 5Soon the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in the Nile, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. And when she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to retrieve it. |
| 6When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This must be one of the Hebrew children,” she said. | 6When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the little boy was crying. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew children.” |
| 7Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” she asked. | 7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” |
| 8“Yes, do!” the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother. | 8“Go ahead,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. And the girl went and called the boy’s mother. |
| 9“Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So the woman took her baby home and nursed him. | 9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the boy and nursed him. |
| 10Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.” Moses Escapes to Midian | 10When the child had grown older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses and explained, “I drew him out of the water.” |
| 11Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. | 11One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. |
| 12After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand. | 12After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. |
| 13The next day, when Moses went out to visit his people again, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. “Why are you beating up your friend?” Moses said to the one who had started the fight. | 13The next day Moses went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your companion?” |
| 14The man replied, “Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?” Then Moses was afraid, thinking, “Everyone knows what I did.” | 14But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known.” |
| 15And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian. When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well. | 15When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well. |
| 16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came as usual to draw water and fill the water troughs for their father’s flocks. | 16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. |
| 17But some other shepherds came and chased them away. So Moses jumped up and rescued the girls from the shepherds. Then he drew water for their flocks. | 17And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock. |
| 18When the girls returned to Reuel, their father, he asked, “Why are you back so soon today?” | 18When the daughters returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?” |
| 19“An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they answered. “And then he drew water for us and watered our flocks.” | 19“An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.” |
| 20“Then where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave him there? Invite him to come and eat with us.” | 20“So where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.” |
| 21Moses accepted the invitation, and he settled there with him. In time, Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife. | 21Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. |
| 22Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, for he explained, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” | 22And she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.” |
| 23Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. | 23After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God. |
| 24God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. | 24So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. |
| 25He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act. | 25God saw the Israelites and took notice. |
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