The Birth and Adoption of Moses (Acts 7:20–22; Hebrews 11:23)
1 AKJV And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. BSB BSB: Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,
2 AKJV And the woman conceived, and bore a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. BSB BSB: and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.
3 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: But 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.
4 AKJV And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. BSB BSB: And his sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
5 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: Soon 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.
6 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: When 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.”
7 AKJV Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to you a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you? BSB BSB: Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”
8 AKJV And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. BSB BSB: “Go ahead,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. And the girl went and called the boy’s mother.
9 AKJV And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. BSB BSB: Pharaoh’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.
10 AKJV And the child grew, and she brought him to 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. BSB BSB: When 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.”
The Rejection and Flight of Moses (Acts 7:23–29)
11 AKJV And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brothers, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brothers. BSB BSB: One 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.
12 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.
13 AKJV 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, Why smite you your fellow? BSB BSB: The next day Moses went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your companion?”
14 AKJV And he said, Who made you a prince and a judge over us? intend you to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. BSB BSB: But 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.”
15 AKJV Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelled in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. BSB BSB: When 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.
16 AKJV Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. BSB BSB: Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.
17 AKJV And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. BSB BSB: And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock.
18 AKJV And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that you are come so soon to day? BSB BSB: When the daughters returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
19 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
20 AKJV And he said to his daughters, And where is he? why is it that you have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. BSB BSB: “So where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.”
21 AKJV And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. BSB BSB: Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
22 AKJV And she bore him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. BSB BSB: And she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”
God Hears the Cry of the Israelites 23 AKJV 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 to God by reason of the bondage. BSB BSB: After 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.
24 AKJV And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. BSB BSB: So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25 AKJV And God looked on the children of Israel, and God had respect to them. BSB BSB: God saw the Israelites and took notice.