Exodus 3

1 Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

And Moses was feeding the flock of Jothor his father-in-law, the priest of Madiam; and he brought the sheep near to the wilderness, and came to the mount of Choreb.

2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed.

And an angel of the Lord appeared to him in flaming fire out of the bush, and he sees that the bush burns with fire, —but the bush was not consumed.

3 So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?”

And Moses said, I will go near and see this great sight, why the bush is not consumed.

4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.

And when the Lord saw that he drew near to see, the Lord called him out of the bush, saying, Moses, Moses; and he said, What is it?

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

And he said, Draw not near hither: loose your sandals from off your feet, for the place whereon you stand is holy ground.

6 Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

And he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraam, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and Moses turned away his face, for he was afraid to gaze at God.

7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.

And the Lord said to Moses, I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and I have heard their cry [caused] by their taskmasters; for I know their affliction.

8 I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land, and to bring them into a good and wide land, into a land flowing with milk and honey, into the place of the Chananites, and the Chettites, and Amorites, and Pherezites, and Gergesites, and Evites, and Jebusites.

9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen how severely the Egyptians are oppressing them.

And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come to me, and I have seen the affliction with which the Egyptians afflict them.

10 Therefore, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

And now come, I will send you to Pharao king of Egypt, and you shall bring out my people the children of Israel from the land of Egypt.

11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

And Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharao king of Egypt, and that I should bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt?

12 “I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”

And God spoke to Moses, saying, I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that I shall send you forth, —when you bring out my people out of Egypt, then you shall serve God in this mountain.

13 Then Moses asked God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What should I tell them?”

And Moses said to God, Behold, I shall go forth to the children of Israel, and shall say to them, The God of our fathers has sent me to you; and they will ask me, What is his name? What shall I say to them?

14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

And God spoke to Moses, saying, I am THE BEING; and he said, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, THE BEING has sent me to you.

15 God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.

And God said again to Moses, Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel, The Lord God of our fathers, the God of Abraam, and God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, has sent me to you: this is my name for ever, and my memorial to generations of generations.

16 Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me and said: I have surely attended to you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.

Go then and gather the elders of the children of Israel, and you shall say to them, The Lord God of our fathers has appeared to me, the God of Abraam, and God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, saying, I have surely looked upon you, and upon all the things which have happened to you in Egypt.

17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your affliction in Egypt, into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’

And he said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of the Egyptians to the land of the Chananites and the Chettites, and Amorites and Pherezites, and Gergesites, and Evites, and Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.

18 The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’

And they shall listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go in to Pharao king of Egypt, and you shall say to him, The God of the Hebrews has called us; we will go then a journey of three days into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to our God.

19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him.

But I know that Pharao king of Egypt will not let you go, save with a mighty hand;

20 So I will stretch out My hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders I will perform among them. And after that, he will release you.

and I will stretch out my hand, and strike the Egyptians with all my wonders, which I shall work among them, and after that he will send you forth.

21 And I will grant this people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you leave, you will not go away empty-handed.

And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and whenever you shall escape, you shall not depart empty.

22 Every woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.”

But [every] woman shall ask of her neighbor and fellow lodger, articles of gold and silver, and apparel; and you shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters, —and spoil you the Egyptians.