"My son, I have nothing I can give, but this chance that you may live."
With these words, Yocheved, a Hebrew mother, places her infant son in a basket and sets him adrift on the Nile River. His sister Miriam follows him along the riverbank to ensure its safety. After a perilous journey, the basket floats near the royal palace, where it is spotted by the Queen. As she approaches the basket with her young son nearby, she marvels at the beautiful infant boy inside. She names the baby Moses and adopts him as her own.
Moses is raised in the opulence of the royal palace along with Rameses, whom he believes to be his older brother. The two grow very close, enjoying the playfulness of youth and building a powerful and deep friendship. One day as the two careen through the city streets in their chariots, they accidentally destroy a nearby temple, angering their father, the Pharaoh Seti. He is particularly disappointed in Rameses, whose conduct as the future Pharaoh is held up to greater scrutiny. Moses immediately takes the blame for the incident and pleads with his father not to hold Rameses responsible.
That night at a banquet, Seti announces he is naming Rameses the new Prince Regent to oversee the construction of all temples. Proud of his brother's new post, Moses calls for a celebration. He orders the crafty High Priests Hotep and Huy to pay tribute to their new Regent with a spectacular magic act. With a burst of smoke they present Rameses with a special gift -- Tzipporah, a feisty Bedouin woman. Rameses, in turn, awards her to Moses, and orders her taken to his room. Rameses then proudly appoints his brother as his assistant.
That night as Moses returns to his room, he discovers that Tzipporah has escaped. Intrigued by the rebellious girl, he follows her through the Hebrew settlement of Goshen where he comes upon his true siblings, Miriam and Aaron.
Believing that Moses has returned to help them, Miriam reveals to Moses the truth about his identity, that he is the son of a Hebrew slave. Shocked and dismayed, Moses refuses to believe her and flees back to the palace. That night he has a nightmare about the slaughter of the newborn Hebrews many years ago.
He confronts his father the Pharaoh Seti, who tells Moses he feared the slaves were growing too numerous and might have rebelled. He attempts in vain to justify his actions, telling Moses "Sometimes for the greater good, sacrifices must be made.". As Seti embraces him, he adds… "they were only slaves.". Moses recoils from this cruelty. The Queen tries to comfort him, insisting that the palace is his home.
The next morning as Moses joins Rameses on the site of a new temple, Moses sees for the first time the brutal lives of the Hebrew slaves. A palace guard strikes an elderly Hebrew man. Moses leaps to the old man's defense, causing the guard to fall to his death. Stunned by his own actions, Moses flees into the desert.
As Moses trudges through the desert, he removes the trappings of his palace life. He is caught in a blinding sandstorm, but is eventually rescued by a mischievous camel and finds himself in a Midianite village, where he encounters Tzipporah and her family. Jethro, Tzipporah's father and the High Priest of Midian, welcomes him into their tribe. As the years pass, Moses and Tzipporah fall in love and build a contented life as humble shepherds. One day as Moses goes in search of a wayward sheep, he comes across an unearthly sight -- a burning bush that is not consumed by the flames. To Moses' amazement, he hears the voice of God, calling upon him to return to Egypt and free the Hebrew people.
Filled with purpose, Moses returns to Egypt, where he discovers that with the passing of years the Pharaoh Seti has died and Rameses has become Pharaoh. Rameses is overjoyed by his brother's return. But when Moses tells him about his mission to free the Hebrew slaves, Rameses reacts with disbelief and scorn. Though Moses tries to convince Rameses of God's power, Rameses is unimpressed. He responds to Moses' demands by doubling the workload of the slaves. Through the guidance of his sister Miriam, Moses summons the courage to confront Rameses again. But Rameses refuses to comply even when he sees the Nile river turned to blood before his eyes.
Finally, as Moses warned Rameses, God brings a series of plagues to overrun the land. Although the Egyptian people become more and more afflicted by disease, famine and pestilence, Rameses refuses to give in. That night, God speaks to Moses, warning him of one final plague.
Recognizing the terrible danger, Moses goes to Rameses one last time to plead for the release of the Hebrews. Again, Rameses refuses. That night the Angel of Death kills all the Egyptian firstborn, including Rameses' young son. Moses is overwhelmed with grief at the enormity of this last plague, but Rameses rejects his sympathy and angrily orders, "Take your people and go."
Moses leads the Hebrews out of Egypt, but as they reach the shores of the Red Sea they spot the Egyptian army in the distance. Moses calls to God, and the Pillar of Fire emerges from the sea and arches over the Hebrews to block the army's path. Calling on God's power once more, Moses then plants his staff in the water. Suddenly, the mighty Red Sea parts, revealing an incredible path between two towering walls of water. As the Hebrews travel through the parted Sea, the pillar of fire dissolves and Rameses commands his troops to follow them. But soon the powerful waters begin to crash down on the Egyptian army as Rameses watches helplessly from shore. Moses and the Hebrews continue to cross and safely reach the other side a free people.
Months pass. As the light of dawn descends on Mount Sinai, an older Moses stands, stone tablets in his arms, poised to deliver the Ten Commandments to the Hebrew people.