Exodus 3

1 Moses was a shepherd, looking after the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the Midianite priest. He led the flock far into the wilderness until he came to God's mountain, Mount Horeb.

Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb.

2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from inside a bush. Moses looked carefully and saw that though the bush was on fire, it wasn't being burned up.

And the agent of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. And he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

3 “Let me go over and take a look,” Moses said to himself. “It's very odd to see a bush that's not burning up.”

And Moses said, I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

4 When the Lord saw that Moses was coming to take a look, God called to him from inside the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “I'm here,” Moses replied.

And when Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here I am.

5 “Don't come any closer!” God told him. “Take off your sandals because you're standing on holy ground.”

And he said, Do not draw near here. Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place on which thou 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.” Moses covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

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

7 “I'm completely aware of the misery of my people in Egypt,” the Lord told him. “I have heard them crying out because of their taskmasters. I know how much they're suffering.

And Jehovah said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

8 That's why I have come down to rescue them from Egyptian oppression and to take them up from that country to a productive, wide-open land—a land flowing with milk and honey—where currently the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites are living.

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

9 Listen! The cries of the Israelites have reached me, and I have seen how badly the Egyptians are mistreating them.

And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

10 Now you must leave, because I'm sending you to Pharaoh to lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

Come now therefore, and I will send thee to Pharaoh, that thou may bring forth my people the sons of Israel out of Egypt.

11 But Moses said to God, “Why me? I'm a nobody! I couldn't go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt!”

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

12 “I'll be with you,” the Lord replied, “and this will be the sign that it is really me who is sending you: when you have led the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”

And he said, I will certainly be with thee. And this shall be the sign to thee, that I have sent thee: When thou have brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

13 Then Moses said to God, “Look! If I were to 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?’ —then what should I tell them?”

And Moses said to God, Behold, when I come to the sons of Israel, and shall say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say to them?

14 God replied to Moses, “‘I Am’ is who I am. Tell the Israelites this: ‘I Am’ has sent me to you.”

And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. And he said, Thus shall thou say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.

15 Then God said to Moses, “Tell 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, the name you are to call me for all generations to come.’

And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shall thou say to the sons of Israel, Jehovah, 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 my memorial to all generations.

16 Go, and call all the elders of Israel to meet with you. Tell them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, has appeared to me—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He said, “I have paid close attention to what's been happening to you in Egypt.

Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.

17 I have decided to take you away from the misery you're having in Egypt and bring you to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.

18 “The elders of Israel will accept what you say. Then you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us. So please let us go three days journey into the desert so we can offer sacrifices to the Lord our God there.’

And they shall hearken to thy voice. And thou shall come, thou and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and ye shall say to him, Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. And now let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God.

19 But I know that the king of Egypt won't let you go unless he's forced to do so by a power stronger than him.

And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go, no, not by a mighty hand.

20 So I will use my power to inflict on Egypt all the terrifying things that I'm about to do to them. After that he'll let you go.

And I will put forth my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst of it, and after that he will let you go.

21 I will make the Egyptians treat you well as a people, so when you go you won't leave empty-handed.

And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. And it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty.

22 Every woman will ask her neighbor as well as any woman living in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and put them on your sons and daughters. In this way you will take the wealth of the Egyptians with you.”

But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who sojourns in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment. And ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters, and ye shall despoil the Egyptians.