1Moses vogtede nu får for sin svigerfar, præsten i Midjan, som også kaldtes Jetro. Han drev dyrene over i den fjerne ende af ørkenområdet og kom til Guds bjerg, Horeb.2Der viste Herrens engel sig for ham som en flammende ild midt i en tornebusk. Moses var forundret over, at busken stod i flammer uden at brænde op,3så han tænkte: „Jeg må hen og se, hvorfor busken ikke brænder op.”4Da Gud så, at Moses var på vej hen for at se på den, råbte han til ham fra busken: „Moses! Moses!” „Ja, det er mig!” svarede Moses.5„Kom ikke nærmere!” advarede Gud. „Men tag dine sandaler af, for du står på et helligt sted.6Jeg er dine forfædres Gud—Abrahams, Isaks og Jakobs Gud.” Ved de ord dækkede Moses sit ansigt med hænderne, for han var bange for at se Gud.7Herren fortsatte: „Jeg har set, hvordan mit folk bliver undertrykt i Egypten, og jeg har hørt deres klageskrig. Jeg føler med dem i deres lidelser,8og jeg er kommet ned for at befri dem fra egypterne. Jeg vil føre dem ud af Egypten og ind i deres eget gode land, hvor der er masser af plads—et land, der flyder med mælk og honning. Det er landet, hvor kana’anæerne, hittitterne, amoritterne, perizzitterne, hivvitterne og jebusitterne bor.9Israelitternes skrig er nået mig, og jeg har set, hvordan egypterne har undertrykt dem med hårdt arbejde.10Derfor sender jeg nu dig til Farao, for du skal føre mit folk, israelitterne, ud af Egypten.”11„Jamen, det kan jeg da ikke,” indvendte Moses. „Jeg kan da ikke møde frem foran Farao. Og hvordan skulle jeg kunne føre israelitterne ud af Egypten?”12Men Gud sagde: „Jeg vil være med dig! Lad dette være et tegn på, at det er mig, som har sendt dig: Efter at du har ført folket ud af Egypten, skal I tilbede mig ved det bjerg, du står ved lige nu.”13„Men,” indvendte Moses, „hvis jeg går til Israels folk og fortæller dem, at deres forfædres Gud har sendt mig, vil de med det samme spørge: ‚Hvad hedder den Gud?’ Hvad skal jeg så sige til dem?”14„Jeg er den, som altid er!” svarede Gud. „Du skal fortælle dem, at ‚jeg er’ har sendt dig til dem.15Sig til dem, at Jahve,[1] deres forfædre Abrahams, Isaks og Jakobs Gud, har sendt dig til dem. Det har altid været mit navn, og sådan skal jeg huskes fra slægt til slægt.16Tag nu af sted og kald alle Israels ledere sammen. Fortæl dem, at Jahve, deres forfædre Abrahams, Isaks og Jakobs Gud, viste sig for dig, og at han sagde til dig: ‚Jeg har set, hvordan egypterne har behandlet jer.17Og jeg lover at befri jer fra elendigheden i Egypten og føre jer ind i det land, hvor kana’anæerne, hittitterne, amoritterne, perizzitterne, hivvitterne og jebusitterne bor—et land, der flyder med mælk og honning.’18De israelitiske ledere vil tage imod dit budskab. Derefter skal I sammen gå til Egyptens konge og sige: ‚Jahve, vores Gud, har åbenbaret sig for os. Derfor vil vi gerne rejse tre dagsrejser ud i ørkenen for at ofre til ham. Giv os nu din tilladelse.’ ”19Jahve fortsatte: „Jeg ved godt, at egypterkongen ikke uden videre vil lade jer rejse—ikke medmindre han bliver tvunget til det.20Jeg vil tvinge ham ved at slå hårdt ned på hele Egypten, og så vil han til sidst give efter og lade jer rejse.21Og jeg vil sørge for, at egypterne bliver venligt stemt og giver jer gaver, så I ikke skal rejse bort med tomme hænder.22De hebræiske kvinder skal bede alle de egyptiske kvinder, der bor i nærheden af dem som fremmede, om juveler, sølv, guld og fine klæder, og I skal give jeres sønner og døtre det på. På den måde får I lov at plyndre egypternes rigdomme.”
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. (2.Mos 4,27; 2.Mos 18,5; 2.Mos 24,13; 4.Mos 10,33; 1.Kong 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. (Es 63,9; Ap G 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.” (2.Mos 19,3; 5.Mos 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.” (2.Mos 19,12; Josva 5,15; Præd 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. (1.Mos 28,13; 2.Mos 4,5; 1.Kong 18,36; 1.Kong 19,13; Es 6,1; Es 6,5; Matt 22,32; Mark 12,26; Luk 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, (2.Mos 2,23; 2.Mos 5,13; Neh 9,9; Salm 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. (1.Mos 11,5; 1.Mos 11,7; 1.Mos 15,18; 1.Mos 18,21; 1.Mos 50,24; 2.Mos 6,6; 2.Mos 12,51; 2.Mos 13,5; 2.Mos 33,3; 3.Mos 20,24; 4.Mos 13,27; 5.Mos 1,25; 5.Mos 8,7; 5.Mos 8,9; 5.Mos 26,9; 5.Mos 26,15; Jer 11,5; Jer 32,22; Ez 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. (2.Mos 1,11; 2.Mos 1,22; 2.Mos 2,23)10Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Salm 105,26; Mika 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?” (2.Mos 6,12; 1.Sam 18,18; Es 6,5; Es 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.” (2.Mos 4,12; 2.Mos 4,15; 5.Mos 31,8; 5.Mos 31,23; Josva 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.’” (2.Mos 6,3; Salm 68,4; Joh 8,58; Heb 13,8; Åb 1,4; Åb 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. (2.Mos 3,6; Salm 135,13; Hos 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, (1.Mos 50,24; 2.Mos 4,29; 2.Mos 4,31; Luk 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.”’ (2.Mos 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.’ (2.Mos 4,31; 2.Mos 5,1; 4.Mos 23,3; 4.Mos 23,15)19But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.[3] (2.Mos 5,2; 2.Mos 6,1; 2.Mos 7,4; 2.Mos 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. (2.Mos 4,21; 2.Mos 12,31; 5.Mos 6,22; Neh 9,10; Jer 32,20; Ap G 7,36)21And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, (1.Mos 15,14; 2.Mos 11,2; 2.Mos 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.” (2.Mos 33,6; Ez 39,10)