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.

Moses/I was taking care of the sheep that belonged to his/my father-in-law Jethro, the priest of the Midian [people]. He/I led the flock across the desert and came to Horeb, [the mountain that was later called Sinai], the (mountain that [had been dedicated to] God/taboo mountain).

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.

[One day] Yahweh (appeared/revealed himself) to him/me, [looking like] an angel. The angel appeared in a flame of fire in the middle of a bush [that was burning]. Moses/I looked at it, and he/I was surprised that the bush was burning, but it was not burning up.

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

Moses/I thought, “I will go closer and try to see this strange 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 Yahweh saw that he/I had come closer, he called to Moses/me from the middle of the bush, saying, “Moses! Moses!” He/I replied, “[Yes], 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.

Yahweh said, “Do not come closer! [Because I am God], the ground on which you are standing is holy/taboo. So take off your sandals [to show respect to me].”

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 God, whom your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [worshiped].” So Moses/I covered his/my face, because he/I was afraid [that God would kill him/me] if he/I looked at him.

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 Yahweh said, “I have seen how cruelly [they are treating] my people in Egypt. I have heard them (wailing/crying out) [for help] because of what the slave-drivers [are forcing them to do]. I know how my people are suffering.

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.

So I have come down [from heaven] to rescue them from the Egyptians [SYN]. I have come to bring them up from that land [to the highlands in Canaan]. I will bring them to a land that is good/fertile and that has plenty of space. It will be very good for raising livestock and growing crops [MTY]. It is the land where the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Periz, Hiv, and Jebus [live].

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.

Truly I have now heard my Israeli people crying [PRS]. I have seen how 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.

So you go [back] to Egypt. I am sending you to the king, in order that [he may permit] you to bring my people, the Israeli people, 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/I replied, “I am not a well-known person [RHQ]! (I cannot go to the king and [ask him to permit me] to bring the Israeli people out of Egypt!/How can I go to the king and [ask him to allow me to] bring the Israeli people out of Egypt?)” [RHQ]

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.

God replied, “I will be with you. And when you bring [my] people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me [right] here on this mountain. That will prove that I am the one who sent you [to them].”

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/I said to God, “If I go to the Israeli people and say to them, ‘God, the one your ancestors [worshiped], has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’, what shall I say to 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 replied, “I AM who I AM.” And he said, “Tell the Israeli people that the one who is [named] ‘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 said to Moses/me, “Say this to the Israeli people: ‘Yahweh God, the one your ancestors [worshiped], the one that Abraham and Isaac and Jacob [worshiped], has sent me to you.’ This name, [Yahweh], will be my name forever. That is the name that [people in] all future generations [must use when they talk about/to] me.

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 [to Egypt] and gather together the elders/leaders of the Israeli people, and say to them, ‘Yahweh God, the one your ancestors [worshiped], the one Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [worshiped], appeared to me. He said to him/me, “I have been watching closely what the Egyptian people have done to you.

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 promise that I will rescue you from being oppressed in Egypt, and [I will take you] to the land where the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Periz, Hiv, and Jebus [live]. It is a land good for raising livestock and growing crops [MTY].”’

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.

My people will do what you say. Then you and their leaders must go to the king of Egypt, and you must say to him, ‘Yahweh, who is God, the one we Hebrews [worship], has revealed himself to us. So now we ask you to allow us to travel for three days to [a place in] the desert, in order that there we may offer sacrifices 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 allow you to go only if he realizes I am [more] powerful [MTY] [than he is].

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 use my power [MTY] to strike/punish [the people of] Egypt [MTY] by performing many miracles there. Then he will allow you to leave.

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

[When that happens], I will cause the people of Egypt to respect you. [The result will be that] when you leave Egypt, (you will not go empty-handed/they will give you many [valuable] things to take with you).

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.

[At that time], each [Israeli] woman will ask her [Egyptian] neighbors and each [Egyptian] woman who is living in her (OR, her neighbor’s) house to [give her] some silver and gold jewelry and some [nice] clothes. [Each Egyptian woman will give them some], and you will put them on your sons and daughters [to take with you]. In that way you will (take away/confiscate) the wealth of the Egyptian people.”