The Birth and Adoption of Moses (Acts 7:20–22; Hebrews 11:23)
1 UDB Now there was a man who was a descendant of Jacob's son Levi. He married a woman who was also a descendant of Levi. BSB BSB: Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,
2 UDB She became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy. When she saw that he was a healthy baby, she hid him for three months because she was not willing to do what the king commanded. 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 UDB When she was unable to hide him any longer, she got a basket made from tall reeds. She covered the basket with tar so it would float in water. Then she put the baby in the basket and put the basket in the water. It was at the edge of the Nile River in the middle of the tall reeds. 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 UDB His older sister was standing close by, watching to see what would happen to him. BSB BSB: And his sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
5 UDB Soon the king's daughter went down to the river to take a bath. Her female servants walked along the riverbank. She saw the basket in the tall reeds in the river, so she sent one of her servants to get 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 UDB When the servant brought the basket to her, she opened it, and was surprised to see a baby inside that was crying. She felt sad for him, and said, "This must be a Hebrew baby." 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 UDB Then the baby's older sister walked up to the king's daughter and said, "Do you want me to go and find a Hebrew woman who will be able to nurse the baby 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 UDB The king's daughter said to her, "Yes, go and find one." So the girl went and found the baby's mother. BSB BSB: “Go ahead,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. And the girl went and called the boy’s mother.
9 UDB The king's daughter said to the mother, "Please take this baby and nurse him for me. I will pay you for doing that." So the baby's mother took him and nursed him. 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 UDB Several years later, his mother brought the boy to the king's daughter. She adopted him as though he were her own son. She named him Moses, which sounds like the Hebrew words 'pull out' because she said, "I pulled 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 UDB One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out of the palace area to see his people, the Hebrews. He saw how they had to work very hard. He also saw an Egyptian man beating a Hebrew person. 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 UDB He looked around to see if anyone was watching. Seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian man and buried his body 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 UDB The next day he returned to the same place. He was surprised to see two Hebrew men fighting each other. He said to the man who started the fight, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" 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 UDB The man replied, "Who made you our ruler and judge? Are you going to kill me just like you killed that Egyptian man yesterday?" Then Moses was afraid because he thought, "Since this man knows what I did, other people will know, too." 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 UDB When the king heard that Moses killed an Egyptian, he ordered his soldiers to kill Moses. But Moses ran away from the king and left Egypt. He traveled east to the region of Midian and started to live there. Now the man who was the priest for the Midian people, whose name was Jethro, had seven daughters. One day as Moses sat down beside a well, the seven daughters came to the well, got water, and filled the troughs in order to give water to their father's sheep. 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.
17 UDB Some shepherds came and started to chase away the girls. But Moses helped the girls and got water for 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 UDB When the girls returned to their father Jethro, who was also called Reuel, he asked them, "How is it that you were able to give water to the sheep and come home so quickly today?" BSB BSB: When the daughters returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
19 UDB They replied, "A man from Egypt kept other shepherds from chasing us away. He also got water for us from the well and gave water to the sheep." BSB BSB: “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
20 UDB He said to his daughters, "Where is he? Why did you leave him out there? Invite him in so that he can have something to eat!" BSB BSB: “So where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.”
21 UDB So they did, and Moses ate with them. Moses decided to live there. Later, Jethro gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife. BSB BSB: Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
22 UDB Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means "foreigner" because he said, "I am a foreigner living in this 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 UDB Many years later the king of Egypt died. The Israelite people in Egypt were still crying out because of the hard work they had to do as slaves. They called out for someone to help them, and God heard them. 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 UDB When he heard them crying out, he thought about his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. BSB BSB: So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25 UDB God saw how the Israelite people were being badly treated, and he wanted to help them. BSB BSB: God saw the Israelites and took notice.