1Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.2There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.3So Moses thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight – why the bush does not burn up.’4When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’5‘Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’6Then he said, ‘I am the God of your father,[1] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’ At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. (Ac 7:32)7The Lord said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.8So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey – the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.9And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.10So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.’11But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’12And God said, ‘I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you[2] will worship God on this mountain.’13Moses said to 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?” Then what shall I tell them?’14God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.[3] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I am has sent me to you.” ’15God also said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites, “The Lord,[4] 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 for ever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.16‘Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, “The Lord, the God of your fathers – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.17And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites – a land flowing with milk and honey.”18‘The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.”19But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him.20So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.21‘And I will make the Egyptians favourably disposed towards this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed.22Every woman is to ask her neighbour and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.’
Exodus 3
English Standard Version
The Burning Bush
1Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. (Ex 4:27; Ex 18:5; Ex 24:13; Nu 10:33; 1Ki 19:8)2And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. (Isa 63:9; Ac 7:30)3And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”4When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” (Ex 19:3; De 33:16)5Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Ex 19:12; Jos 5:15; Ec 5:1)6And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. (Ge 28:13; Ex 4:5; 1Ki 18:36; 1Ki 19:13; Isa 6:1; Isa 6:5; Mt 22:32; Mr 12:26; Lu 20:37)7Then 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. I know their sufferings, (Ex 2:23; Ex 5:13; Ne 9:9; Ps 106:44)8and 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 broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (Ge 11:5; Ge 11:7; Ge 15:18; Ge 18:21; Ge 50:24; Ex 6:6; Ex 12:51; Ex 13:5; Ex 33:3; Le 20:24; Nu 13:27; De 1:25; De 8:7; De 8:9; De 26:9; De 26:15; Jer 11:5; Jer 32:22; Eze 20:6)9And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. (Ex 1:11; Ex 1:22; Ex 2:23)10Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Ps 105:26; Mic 6:4)11But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Ex 6:12; 1Sa 18:18; Isa 6:5; Isa 6:8; Jer 1:6)12He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Ex 4:12; Ex 4:15; De 31:8; De 31:23; Jos 1:5)13Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”14God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”[1] And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Ex 6:3; Ps 68:4; Joh 8:58; Heb 13:8; Re 1:4; Re 4:8)15God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord,[2] 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 thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. (Ex 3:6; Ps 135:13; Ho 12:5)16Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, (Ge 50:24; Ex 4:29; Ex 4:31; Lu 1:68)17and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ (Ex 3:8)18And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ (Ex 4:31; Ex 5:1; Nu 23:3; Nu 23:15)19But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.[3] (Ex 5:2; Ex 6:1; Ex 7:4; Ex 13:3)20So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. (Ex 4:21; Ex 12:31; De 6:22; Ne 9:10; Jer 32:20; Ac 7:36)21And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, (Ge 15:14; Ex 11:2; Ex 12:35)22but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.” (Ex 33:6; Eze 39:10)