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 back of the wilderness, and came to God's mountain, to Horeb.

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.

2 The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and look, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

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.

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

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

4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, "Moses. Moses." He said, "Here I am."

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.

5 He said, "Do not come close. Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place you are standing on is holy ground."

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

6 Moreover he said, "I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God.

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.

7 The LORD 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.

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.

8 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 Canaanites, and the Hethites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

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.

9 Now, look, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

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

10 Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."

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

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

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

12 And God spoke to Moses, saying, "Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."

“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.”

13 And Moses said to God, "Look, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you;' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What should I tell them?"

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?”

14 And God said to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM," and he said, "You shall tell the children of Israel this: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

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.’”

15 And God said moreover to Moses, "You shall tell the children of Israel this, '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 from generation to generation.

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.

16 Go, and gather the elders of the children of Israel together, and tell them, 'The LORD, 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;

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.

17 and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, and the Hethites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey."'

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.’

18 They will listen to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, 'The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to our God.'

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.’

19 I know that the king of Egypt won't give you permission to go, except by a mighty hand.

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

20 I will put forth my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in its midst, and after that he will let you go.

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.

21 I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed.

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.

22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.

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.”