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.

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 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.

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 Therfor Moyses seide, Y schal go and schal se this greet siyt, whi the buysch is not forbrent.

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

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 had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.

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.

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

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 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 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 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 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 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.

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

10 But come thou, I schal sende thee to Farao, that thou lede out my puple, the sones of Israel, fro Egipt.

Therefore, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites 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?

But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites 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.

“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 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?

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 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. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘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 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 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, 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 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.

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 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.

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 Y woot, that the kyng of Egipt schal not delyuere you that ye go, but bi strong hond;

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

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.

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 And Y schal yyue grace to this puple bifore Egipcians, and whanne ye schulen go out, ye schulen not go out voide;

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 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.

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.”