Exodus 3

1 Now Moses was looking after the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he took the flock to the back of the waste land and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Now, Moses, was shepherding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law priest of Midian, —so he led forth the flock behind the desert, and came in unto the mountain of God to Horeb.

2 And the angel of the Lord was seen by him in a flame of fire coming out of a thorn-tree: and he saw that the tree was on fire, but it was not burned up.

Then appeared the messenger of Yahweh unto him, in a flame of fire from the midst of the thorn-bush, —so he looked and lo! the thorn-bush burning with fire and yet the thorn-bush, was not consumed.

3 And Moses said, I will go and see this strange thing, why the tree is not burned up,

And, Moses said, Let me turn aside, pray, and see this great sight, —why the thorn-bush, doth not burn up.

4 And when the Lord saw him turning to one side to see, God said his name out of the tree, crying, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

And Yahweh saw, that he turned aside to see, —so God called unto him out of the midst of the thorn-bush, and said—Moses! Moses! And he said—Behold me!

5 And he said, Do not come near: take off your shoes from your feet, for the place where you are is holy.

And he said—Do not draw nigh hither, —put off thy sandals from thy feet, for, the place whereon thou art standing is holy ground.

6 And he said, I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses kept his face covered for fear of looking on God.

And he said—I, am the God of thy father, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

7 And God said, Truly, I have seen the grief of my people in Egypt, and their cry because of their cruel masters has come to my ears; for I have knowledge of their sorrows;

Then said Yahweh, I have, seen, the humiliation of my people, who are in Egypt, —and their outcry, have I heard, by reason of their task-masters, for I know their pains;

8 And I have come down to take them out of the hands of the Egyptians, guiding them out of that land into a good land and wide, into a land flowing with milk and honey; into the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.

therefore have I come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians, and to take them up out of that land, into a land good and large, into a land flowing with milk and honey, —into the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite, and the Amorite and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

9 For now, truly, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me, and I have seen the cruel behaviour of the Egyptians to them.

Now, therefore, lo! the outcry of the sons of Israel, hath come in unto me, —moreover also, I have seen the oppression, wherewith the Egyptians are oppressing them.

10 Come, then, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may take my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.

Now, therefore, come thou! that I may send thee unto Pharaoh, —and bring thou forth my people—the sons of Israel—out of Egypt.

11 And Moses said to God, Who am I to go to Pharaoh and take the children of Israel out of Egypt?

And Moses said unto God, Who am, I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, —and that I should bring forth the sons of Israel out of Egypt?

12 And he said, Truly I will be with you; and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you have taken the children of Israel out of Egypt, you will give worship to God on this mountain.

And he said—I will be with thee, and, this, to thee, [shall be] the sign, that, I have sent thee, —When thou bringest forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall do service unto God, upon this mountain.

13 And Moses said to God, When I come to the children of Israel and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you: and they say to me, What is his name? what am I to say to them?

And Moses said unto God—Lo! as surely as, I, go in unto the sons of Israel, and say unto them, The God of your fathers, hath sent me unto you, So surely will they say unto me—What is his name? What shall I say unto them?

14 And God said to him, I AM WHAT I AM: and he said, Say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.

And God said unto Moses, I Will Become whatsoever I please, And he said—Thus, shalt thou say to the sons of Israel, I Will Become hath sent me unto you.

15 And God went on to say to Moses, Say to the children of Israel, The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has sent me to you: this is my name for ever, and this is my sign to all generations.

And God said yet further unto Moses—Thus shalt thou say unto the sons of Israel, Yahweh God of your fathers. God of Abraham God of Isaac and God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you. This, is my name to times age-abiding, And, this, my memorial to generation after generation.

16 Go and get together the chiefs of the children of Israel, and say to them, The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has been seen by me, and has said, Truly I have taken up your cause, because of what is done to you in Egypt;

Go—and thou shalt gather together the elders of Israel and shalt say unto them-Yahweh God of your fathers, hath appeared unto me, the God of Abraham Isaac, and Jacob saying, —I am, concerned, for you, and for what is done to you in Egypt;

17 And I have said, I will take you up out of the sorrows of Egypt into the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, into a land flowing with milk and honey.

therefore do I say—I will bring you up out of the humiliation of Egypt, into the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite, and the Amorite and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, —into a land flowing with milk and honey.

18 And they will give ear to your voice: and you, with the chiefs of Israel, will go to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and say to him, The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has come to us: let us then go three days' journey into the waste land to make an offering to the Lord our God.

So will they hearken to thy voice, —and thou shalt go in—thou, and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt and ye shall say unto him—Yahweh, God of the Hebrews, hath fallen in with us, Now, therefore let us go, we pray thee, a journey of three days into the desert, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh, our God.

19 And I am certain that the king of Egypt will not let you go without being forced.

But, I, know, that the king of Egypt will not suffer you to go, —not even by a firm hand.

20 But I will put out my hand and overcome Egypt with all the wonders which I will do among them: and after that he will let you go.

So then I will put forth my hand and smite Egypt, with all my wonders, which I will do in the midst thereof, —and, after that, he will send you forth.

21 And I will give this people grace in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that when you go out you will go out with your hands full.

Thus will I give favour to this people in the eyes of the Egyptians, —so shall it come to pass that when ye do go, ye shall not go empty;

22 For every woman will get from her neighbour and from the woman living in her house, ornaments of silver and gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and your daughters; you will take the best of their goods from the Egyptians.

but every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold and mantles, —and ye shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters, so shall ye spoil the Egyptians.