Exodus 3

1 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.

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 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.

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

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

4 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!

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 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.

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

6 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.

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 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;

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 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.

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, 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.

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

10 Now, therefore, come thou! that I may send thee unto Pharaoh, —and bring thou forth my people—the sons 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 unto God, Who am, I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, —and that I should bring forth the sons 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 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.

“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 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?

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 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.

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 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.

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 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;

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 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.

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 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.

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

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

20 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.

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 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;

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 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.

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.”