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.

Forsothe Moises kepte the scheep of Jetro, `his wyues fadir, preest of Madian; and whanne he hadde dryue the floc to the ynnere partis of deseert, he cam to Oreb, the hil of God.

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.

Forsothe the Lord apperide to hym in the flawme of fier fro the myddis of the buysch, and he seiy that the buysch brente, and was not forbrent.

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.”

Therfor Moyses seide, Y schal go and schal se this greet siyt, whi the buysch is not forbrent.

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.

Sotheli the Lord seiy that Moises yede to se, and he clepide Moises fro the myddis of the buysch, and seide, Moyses! Moises! Which answeride, Y am present.

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

And the Lord seide, Neiye thou not hidur, but vnbynde thou the scho of thi feet, for the place in which thou stondist is hooli lond.

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.

And the Lord seide, Y am God of thi fadir, God of Abraham, and God of Isaac, and God of Jacob. Moises hidde his face, for he durste not biholde ayens 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.

To whom the Lord seide, Y seiy the affliccion of my puple in Egipt, and Y herde the cry therof, for the hardnesse of hem that ben souereyns of werkis.

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 Y knew the sorewe of the puple, and Y cam down to delyuere it fro the hondis of Egipcians, and lede out of that lond in to a good lond and brood, into a lond that flowith with milk and hony, to the places of Cananey, and of Ethei, of Amorrey, and of Feresei, of Euey, and of Jebusei.

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

Therfor the cry of the sones of Israel cam to me, and Y seiy the turment of hem, bi which thei ben oppressid of Egipcians.

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

But come thou, I schal sende thee to Farao, that thou lede out my puple, the sones of Israel, fro Egipt.

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 Moises seide to hym, Who am Y, that Y go to Farao, and lede out the sones of Israel fro Egipt?

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 the Lord seide to Moises, Y schal be with thee, and thou schalt haue this signe, that Y haue sent thee, whanne thou hast led out my puple fro Egipt, thou schalt offre to God on this hil.

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?”

Moises seide to God, Lo! Y schal go to the sones of Israel, and Y schal seie to hem, God of youre fadris sente me to you; if thei schulen seie to me, what is his name, what schal Y seie to hem?

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

The Lord seide to Moises, Y am that am. The Lord seide, Thus thou schalt seie to the sones of Israel, He that is sente 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 eft God seide to Moises, Thou schalt seie these thingis to the sones of Israel, The Lord God of youre fadris, God of Abraham, and God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, sente me to you; this name is to me with outen ende, and this is my memorial in generacioun and in to generacioun.

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 thou, gadere thou the eldere men, that is, iugis, of Israel, and thou schalt seie to hem, The Lord God of youre fadris apperide to me, God of Abraham, and God of Ysaac, and God of Jacob, and seide, Y visitynge haue visitid you, and Y seiy alle thingis that bifelden to you in Egipt;

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 Y seide, that Y lede out you fro the affliccioun of Egipt in to the lond of Cananey, and of Ethei, and of Amorrei, and of Ferezei and of Euei, and of Jebusei, to the lond flowynge with mylk and hony.

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 thei schulen here thi vois; and thou schalt entre, and the eldere men of Israel to the kyng of Egipt, and thou schalt seie to hym, The Lord God of Ebrews clepide vs; we schulen go the weie of thre daies in to wildirnesse, that we offre to oure Lord 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.

But Y woot, that the kyng of Egipt schal not delyuere you that ye go, but bi strong hond;

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.

for Y schal holde forthe myn hond, and I schal smyte Egipt in alle my marueils, whiche Y schal do in the myddis of hem; aftir these thingis he schal delyuere you.

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

And Y schal yyue grace to this puple bifore Egipcians, and whanne ye schulen go out, ye schulen not go out voide;

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 a womman schal axe of hir neiyboresse and of her hoosteesse siluerne vesselis, and goldun, and clothis, and ye schulen putte tho on youre sones and douytris, and ye schulen make nakid Egipt.