Exodus 3

1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb.

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.

2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto 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.

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.

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

“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.”

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

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.

5 And He said: 'Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.'

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

6 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.

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.

7 And the LORD said: 'I have surely seen the affliction of My people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their pains;

“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.

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

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.

9 And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto Me; moreover I have seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

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

10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people the children of Israel out of Egypt.'

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

11 And Moses said unto God: 'Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?'

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

12 And He said: 'Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be the token unto thee, that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.'

“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.”

13 And Moses said unto God: 'Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them: The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me: What is His name? what shall I say unto them?'

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?”

14 And God said unto Moses: 'I AM THAT I AM'; and He said: 'Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: I AM hath sent me unto you.'

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

15 And God said moreover unto Moses: 'Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you; this is My name for ever, and this is My memorial unto all generations.

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.’

16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared unto me, saying: I have surely remembered you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.

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.

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

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.”

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

“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.’

19 And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go, except by a mighty hand.

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.

20 And 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 let you go.

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.

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

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

22 but every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth 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 spoil the Egyptians.'

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.”