Zayin
49 Remember eyour word to your servant,
in which you have made me fhope.
50 This is gmy comfort in my affliction,
that your promise hgives me life.
51 iThe insolent utterly deride me,
but I do not jturn away from your law.
52 When I think of your rules from of old,
I take comfort, O Lord.
53 kHot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,
who forsake your law.
54 Your statutes have been my songs
in the house of my lsojourning.
55 I mremember your name in the night, O Lord,
and keep your law.
56 This blessing has fallen to me,
that nI have kept your precepts.
Heth
57 oThe Lord is my portion;
I promise to keep your words.
58 I pentreat your favor with all my heart;
be gracious to me qaccording to your promise.
59 When I rthink on my ways,
I turn my feet to your testimonies;
60 I hasten and do not delay
to keep your commandments.
61 Though sthe cords of the wicked ensnare me,
I do not tforget your law.
62 At umidnight I rise to praise you,
because of your vrighteous rules.
63 wI am a companion of all who fear you,
of those who keep your precepts.
64 xThe earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love;
yteach me your statutes!
Teth
65 You have dealt well with your servant,
O Lord, zaccording to your word.
66 Teach me agood judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in your commandments.
67 bBefore I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I keep your word.
68 cYou are good and do good;
dteach me your statutes.
69 eThe insolent fsmear me with lies,
but with my whole heart I gkeep your precepts;
70 their heart is unfeeling hlike fat,
but I idelight in your law.
71 It is jgood for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes.
72 kThe law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
The Birth of Moses
1 Now a tman from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and uwhen she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes1 and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the vreeds by the river bank. 4 And whis sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became xher son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I ydrew him out of the water.”2
Moses Flees to Midian
11 One day, zwhen Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their aburdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.3 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he bstruck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When che went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14 He answered, d“Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But eMoses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by fa well.
16 Now the gpriest of Midian had seven daughters, and hthey came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and iwatered their flock. 18 When they came home to their father jReuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and iwatered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may keat bread.” 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter lZipporah. 22 She gave birth to a son, and he called his name mGershom, for he said, “I have been a nsojourner4 in a foreign land.”
God Hears Israel’s Groaning
23 oDuring those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel pgroaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. qTheir cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And rGod heard their groaning, and God sremembered his covenant with tAbraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God usaw the people of Israel—and God vknew.
