17
“As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased.
18
But then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.
19
This king exploited our people and oppressed them, forcing parents to abandon their newborn babies so they would die.
20
“At that time Moses was born—a beautiful child in God’s eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three months.
21
When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son.
22
Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.
23
“One day when Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel.
24
He saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. So Moses came to the man’s defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian.
25
Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn’t.
26
“The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. ‘Men,’ he said, ‘you are brothers. Why are you fighting each other?’
27
“But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ he asked.