New International Version NIV
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman,
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Now a man from the house of Levi went and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months.
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The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.
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And when she could hide him no longer she took for him a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with bitumen and pitch; and she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds at the river's brink.
4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
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And his sister stood at a distance, to know what would be done to him.
5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it.
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Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, and her maidens walked beside the river; she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to fetch it.
6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.
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When she opened it she saw the child; and lo, the babe was crying. She took pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."
7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”
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Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?"
8 “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother.
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And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." So the girl went and called the child's mother.
9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him.
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And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.
10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”
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And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son; and she named him Moses, for she said, "Because I drew him out of the water."
11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.
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One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.
12 Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
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He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?”
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When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together; and he said to the man that did the wrong, "Why do you strike your fellow?"
14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”
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He answered, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, and thought, "Surely the thing is known."
15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.
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When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh, and stayed in the land of Mid'ian; and he sat down by a well.
16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.
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Now the priest of Mid'ian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock.
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The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18 When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
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When they came to their father Reu'el, he said, "How is it that you have come so soon today?"
19 They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
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They said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and even drew water for us and watered the flock."
20 “And where is he?” Reuel asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.”
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He said to his daughters, "And where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread."
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
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And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zippo'rah.
22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”
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She bore a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land."
23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.
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In the course of those many days the king of Egypt died. And the people of Israel groaned under their bondage, and cried out for help, and their cry under bondage came up to God.
24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.
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And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
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And God saw the people of Israel, and God knew their condition.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.