Exodus 2 - New Catholic Bible (NCB)

The Liberator Raised Up by God

Chapter 2

Moses Is Saved.[a] 1 There was a certain man from the tribe of Levi who took a daughter of the tribe of Levi as his wife. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son. She saw that he was handsome and she hid him for three months. 3 But, not being able to hide him any longer, she took a basket made of papyrus, caulked it with bitumen and pitch, and placed the baby in it and lay it among the reeds growing on the riverbank of the Nile. 4 The baby’s sister[b] hid herself so that she could watch what would happen from a distance.

5 Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe while her attendants walked along the riverbank. They saw the basket among the reeds and sent a slave to fetch it. 6 They opened it and saw the baby. It was a small baby boy who was crying. They had compassion on it and said, “This is a Hebrew baby.”

7 The sister of the baby said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go to call a wet nurse from among the Hebrew women to feed the child for you?”

8 “Go,” said Pharaoh’s daughter. The girl went and called the baby’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby with you and feed it for me. I will pay you.” The woman took the baby and fed it. 10 When the baby was grown, she brought it to Pharaoh’s daughter. He became a son to her and she named him Moses, saying, “I have saved him from the water.”[c]

11 Moses Flees to Midian.[d] One day Moses, having grown up,[e] went out to his brethren and saw how they were oppressed. He noticed an Egyptian strike a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 Looking around, he did not see anyone, so he struck and killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out again and, seeing two Hebrews fighting, said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why did you hit your brother?” 14 He answered, “Who has made you head and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me like you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid and thought, “Certainly this thing is known.” 15 Pharaoh heard about it and sought to put Moses to death. Moses fled from Pharaoh and traveled to the land of Midian[f] where he sat down by a well.

16 A priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water to fill the trough and give water to their father’s flocks. 17 But some shepherds arrived and chased them away. Moses got up and defended them and gave their animals something to drink. 18 They returned to their father Reuel[g] who said to them, “Why are you back so soon today?” 19 They answered, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hands of the shepherds. He drew water for us and gave water to the flock to drink.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave him there? Invite him to eat with us.” 21 Moses agreed to live with that man, who gave him his daughter Zipporah as a wife. 22 She bore him a son and he named his son Gershom for he said, “I am a stranger in a strange land.”[h]

23 God Does Not Forget the Covenant.[i] And it came to pass that the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their slavery, and they cried out. The cry of their bondage rose up to God. 24 God heard their cry and remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God took note of the children of Israel and acknowledged their need.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 2:1 In an account filled with charm, the narrator is pleased to show that God toys with obstacles and makes them serve his plan of salvation. The education in letters that Moses receives from the Egyptian court will be a great help in his mission.
  2. Exodus 2:4 The baby’s sister: i.e., Miriam (see Ex 15:21).
  3. Exodus 2:10 Assonance links Mosheh, the Hebrew form of Moses, and the verb mashah, “to draw out.”
  4. Exodus 2:11 Endangered by his defense of the children of his race, Moses is fearful and flees to the wilderness east of the Gulf of Aqaba. This episode prepares him for the difficulties to come (see Ex 18).
  5. Exodus 2:11 Moses, having grown up: according to Acts 7:23, almost forty years had now passed (see Ex 7:7).
  6. Exodus 2:15 Midian, which was south of Edom and east of the Gulf of Aqaba or Gulf of Elana, was inhabited by nomadic tribes.
  7. Exodus 2:18 It was perhaps different traditions that gave Moses’ father-in-law different names: Reuel (here and in Num 10:29); Jethro (Ex 3:1; 4:18; 18:1). Hobab seems to be rather Moses’ brother-in-law (Num 10:29; Jdg 4:11). The Hebrew terms for degrees of kinship do not have a very precise meaning.
  8. Exodus 2:22 Some Greek and Latin MSS add here a passage apparently from Ex 18:4: “and the other [son] named Eliezer, for he had said, ‘The God of my father has come to my assistance and has freed me from the sword of Pharaoh.’ ”
  9. Exodus 2:23 God remembers his Covenant. Such will also be the case in all the moments when Israel will find itself in distress. Covenant with Abraham: see Gen 15:17-18; 17:7. With Isaac: see Gen 17:19; 26:24. With Jacob: see Gen 35:11-12.

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2 And there goeth a man of the house of Levi, and he taketh the daughter of Levi, 2 and the woman conceiveth, and beareth a son, and she seeth him that he [is] fair, and she hideth him three months, 3 and she hath not been able any more to hide him, and she taketh for him an ark of rushes, and daube...
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Exodus 2 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

2 After these things a man of the house of Levi went out, and took a wife of his kin into fleshly coupling[a], (And after these things, a man of the house of Levi went out, and knew his wife, who was of his own kin, or of his own tribe,) 2 which conceived, and childed a son. And she saw him well-far...
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Exodus 2 - World English Bible (WEB)

2 A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put t...
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Exodus 2 - The Voice (VOICE)

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Exodus 2 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Young Moses2 Now a man from the house of Levi took as his wife a daughter of Levi. 2 The woman conceived and gave birth to a son. Now when she saw that he was delightful, she hid him for three months. [a] 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took a basket of papyrus reeds, coated it with ta...
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Exodus 2 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Birth and Youth of Moses2 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took to wife a daughter of Levi. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 3 And when she could hide him no longer she took for him a basket made of bulrushes, and...
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Exodus 2 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Birth and Youth of Moses2 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took to wife a daughter of Levi. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 3 And when she could hide him no longer she took for him a basket made of bulrushes, and...
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Exodus 2 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Birth and Youth of Moses2 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him for three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitu...
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Exodus 2 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Birth and Youth of Moses2 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman.(A)2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months.(B)3 When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him and plastered it with bitumen...
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Exodus 2 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Birth of Moses2 About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. 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. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and w...
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Exodus 2 - New Life Version (NLV)

2 Now a man of the family of Levi married a daughter of Levi. 2 She was going to have a baby, and she gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. 3 But the time came when she could hide him no longer. So she took a basket made from grass, and covered it w...
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Exodus 2 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Moses Is Born(A)2 And (B)a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. 2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And (C)when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of (D)bulrushes for him, daub...
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Exodus 2 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The birth of Moses2 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket[a] for him and coated it with tar and...
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Exodus 2 - New Century Version (NCV)

Baby Moses2 Now a man from the family of Levi married a woman who was also from the family of Levi. 2 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw how wonderful the baby was, she hid him for three months. 3 But after three months she was not able to hide the baby any longer, so she go...
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