The Birth and Adoption of Moses (Acts 7:20–22; Hebrews 11:23)
1 CPDV After these things, a man from the house of Levi went out, and he took a wife from his own stock. BSB BSB: Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,
2 CPDV And she conceived and bore a son. And seeing him to be handsome, she hid him for 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 CPDV And when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a small basket woven of bulrushes, and she smeared it with pitch as well as tar. And she placed the little infant inside, and she laid him in the sedges by the bank of the river. 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 CPDV His sister was standing at a distance and was wondering what would happen. BSB BSB: And his sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
5 CPDV Then, behold, the daughter of Pharaoh descended to wash in the river. And her maids walked along the edge of the cove. And when she had seen the small basket among the papyruses, she sent one of her servants for it. And when it was brought, 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 CPDV she opened it; and realizing that within it was a little one crying, she took pity on him, and she said: “This is one of the infants of the Hebrews.” 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 CPDV And the sister of the boy said to her: “If you wish, I will go and call to you a Hebrew woman, who will be able nurse the infant.” 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 CPDV She responded, “Go.” The maid went directly and called her mother. BSB BSB: “Go ahead,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. And the girl went and called the boy’s mother.
9 CPDV And the daughter of Pharaoh said to her: “Take this boy and nurse him for me. I will give you your wages.” The woman took and nursed the boy. And when he was mature, she delivered him to the daughter of Pharaoh. 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 CPDV And she adopted him in place of a son, and she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I took him from 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 CPDV In those days, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers. And he saw their affliction and an Egyptian man striking a certain one of the Hebrews, 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 CPDV And when he had looked around this way and that, and had seen no one nearby, he struck down 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 CPDV And going out the next day, he spotted two Hebrews quarrelling violently. And he said to him who was causing the injury, “Why do you strike your neighbor?” 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 CPDV But he responded: “Who appointed you as leader and judge over us? Do you want to kill me, just as yesterday you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and he said, “How has this word become 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 CPDV And Pharaoh heard this talk, and he sought to kill Moses. But fleeing from his sight, he stayed in the land of Midian, and he sat down next to 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 CPDV Now there was a priest of Midian with seven daughters, who came to draw water. And having filled the troughs, they desired to water their father’s flocks. 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 CPDV The shepherds overcame them and drove them away. And Moses rose up, and defending the girls, he watered their sheep. BSB BSB: And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock.
18 CPDV And when they had returned to their father, Reuel, he said to them, “Why have you arrived sooner than usual?” BSB BSB: When the daughters returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
19 CPDV They responded: “A man of Egypt freed us from the hands of the shepherds. Moreover, he also drew water with us and gave the sheep to drink.” BSB BSB: “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
20 CPDV But he said: “Where is he? Why have you dismissed the man? Call him, so 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 CPDV Therefore, Moses swore that he would live with him. And he accepted his daughter Zipporah as a wife. BSB BSB: Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
22 CPDV And she bore a son to him, whom he called Gershom, saying, “I have been a newcomer in a foreign land.” In truth, she bore another, whom he called Eliezer, saying, “For the God of my father, my helper, has rescued me from the hand of Pharaoh.” 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 CPDV In truth, after a long time, the king of Egypt was dead. And the sons of Israel, groaning, cried out because of the works. And their cry ascended to God from the works. 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 CPDV And he heard their groaning, and he also remembered the covenant which he formed with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. BSB BSB: So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25 CPDV And the Lord looked with favor on the sons of Israel, and he knew them. BSB BSB: God saw the Israelites and took notice.