New Living Translation NLT
King James Version KJV
1 About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married.
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And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months.
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And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
3 But 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.
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And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
4 The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him.
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And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
5 Soon 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.
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And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
6 When 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.
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And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
7 Then 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.
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Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
8 “Yes, do!” the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother.
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And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child'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.
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And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
10 Later, 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.”
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And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
11 Many 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.
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And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
12 After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.
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And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
13 The 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.
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And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
14 The 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.”
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And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
15 And 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.
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Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came as usual to draw water and fill the water troughs for their father’s flocks.
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Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
17 But 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.
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And 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, “Why are you back so soon today?”
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And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?
19 “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they answered. “And then he drew water for us and watered our flocks.”
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And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough 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.”
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And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.
21 Moses accepted the invitation, and he settled there with him. In time, Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife.
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And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
22 Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, for he explained, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”
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And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.
23 Years 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.
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And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
24 God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25 He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.
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And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The King James Version is in the public domain.