< 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 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.
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.
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.
3 Therfor Moyses seide, Y schal go and schal se this greet siyt, whi the buysch is not forbrent.
And, Moses said, Let me turn aside, pray, and see this great sight, —why the thorn-bush, doth not burn 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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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;
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.
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.
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, 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.
10 But come thou, I schal sende thee to Farao, that thou lede out my puple, the sones of Israel, fro Egipt.
Now, therefore, come thou! that I may send thee unto Pharaoh, —and bring thou forth my people—the sons 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?
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?
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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;
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 suffer you to go, —not even by a firm 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.
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.
21 And Y schal yyue grace to this puple bifore Egipcians, and whanne ye schulen go out, ye schulen not go out voide;
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;
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 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.

< Exodus 3 >