< Exodus 3 >

1 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.
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.
2 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.
The LORD’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 Therfor Moyses seide, Y schal go and schal se this greet siyt, whi the buysch is not forbrent.
Moses said, “I will go now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”
4 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.
When the LORD saw that he came over to see, God called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Here I am.”
5 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.
He said, “Do not come close. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.”
6 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.
Moreover he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.
7 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.
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.
8 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.
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 Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
9 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.
Now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
10 But come thou, I schal sende thee to Farao, that thou lede out my puple, the sones of Israel, fro Egipt.
Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
11 And Moises seide to hym, Who am Y, that Y go to Farao, and lede out the sones of Israel fro Egipt?
Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
12 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.
He said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
13 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?
Moses said to God, “Behold, 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?”
14 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.
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
15 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.
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 my memorial to all generations.
16 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;
Go and gather the elders 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.
17 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.
I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’
18 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.
They will listen to your voice. You shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, ‘The LORD, 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 the LORD, our God.’
19 But Y woot, that the kyng of Egipt schal not delyuere you that ye go, but bi strong hond;
I know that the king of Egypt will not give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand.
20 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.
I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do among them, and after that he will let you go.
21 And Y schal yyue grace to this puple bifore Egipcians, and whanne ye schulen go out, ye schulen not go out voide;
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.
22 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.
But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing. You shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. You shall plunder the Egyptians.”

< Exodus 3 >