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.

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

“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 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 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—Do not draw nigh hither, —put off thy sandals from thy feet, for, the place whereon thou art standing is holy ground.

“Don't come any closer!” God told him. “Take off your sandals because you're standing on 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.” Moses covered his face, because 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;

“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 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.

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 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.

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

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 sons 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—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'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—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 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 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 replied to Moses, “‘I Am’ is who I am. Tell the Israelites this: ‘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.

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 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, 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 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.

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 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 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 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 won't let you go unless he's forced to do so by a power stronger than 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 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 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;

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 mantles, —and ye shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters, so shall ye 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.”