Exodus 2 · Parashat Shemot

And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

And the woman conceived, and bore a son: and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him a box made of papyrus, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child in it; and she laid it in the rushes by the River’s brink.

And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.

And the daughter of Par῾o came down to wash herself at the River; and her maidens walked along by the River’s side; and when she saw the box among the rushes, she sent her maid to fetch it.

And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, a weeping boy. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.

Then said his sister to Par῾o’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Par῾o’s daughter said to her, Go.

And the maid went and called the child’s mother.

And Par῾o’s daughter said to her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.

And the child grew, and she brought him to Par῾o’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moshe: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

And it came to pass in those days, when Moshe was grown, that he went out to his brothers, and looked on their burdens: and he noticed a Miżrian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brothers.

And he looked this way and that, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Miżrian, and hid him in the sand.

And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that was in the wrong, Why dost thou smite thy fellow?

And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? dost thou intend to kill me, as thou didst kill the Miżrian? And Moshe feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

Now when Par῾o heard this thing, he sought to slay Moshe. But Moshe fled from before Par῾o and dwelt in the land of Midyan: and he sat down by a well.

Now the priest of Midyan had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moshe stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

And when they came to Re῾u᾽el their father, he said, How is it that you are come so soon today?

And they said, A Miżrian man delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.

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.

And Moshe was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moshe Żippora his daughter.

And she bore him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

And it came to pass in the course of those many days, that the king of Miżrayim died: and the children of Yisra᾽el sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry rose up to God by reason of the bondage.

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Avraham, with Yiżĥaq, and with Ya῾aqov.

And God looked upon the children of Yisra᾽el, and God apprehended.