1Moses was taking care of the flock of his father-in-law Jethro. Jethro was the priest of Midian. Moses led the flock to the western side of the desert. He came to Horeb. It was the mountain of God.2There the angel of the LORD appeared to him from inside a burning bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire. But it didn’t burn up.3So Moses thought, ‘I’ll go over and see this strange sight. Why doesn’t the bush burn up?’4The LORD saw that Moses had gone over to look. So God spoke to him from inside the bush. He called out, ‘Moses! Moses!’ ‘Here I am,’ Moses said.5‘Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals. The place you are standing on is holy ground.’6He continued, ‘I am the God of your father. I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.’ When Moses heard that, he turned his face away. He was afraid to look at God.7The LORD said, ‘I have seen how my people are suffering in Egypt. I have heard them cry out because of their slave drivers. I am concerned about their suffering.8So I have come down to save them from the Egyptians. I will bring them up out of that land. I will bring them into a good land. It has a lot of room. It is a land that has plenty of milk and honey. The Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites live there.9And now Israel’s cry for help has reached me. I have seen how badly the Egyptians are treating them.10So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh. I want you to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. They are my people.’11But Moses spoke to God. ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?’ he said. ‘Who am I that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’12God said, ‘I will be with you. I will give you a sign. It will prove that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me on this mountain.’13Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the people of Israel. Suppose I say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you.” And suppose they ask me, “What is his name?” Then what should I tell them?’14God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. Here is what you must say to the Israelites. Tell them, “I AM has sent me to you.” ’15God also said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites, “The LORD is the God of your fathers. He has sent me to you. He is the God of Abraham. He is the God of Isaac. And he is the God of Jacob.” My name will always be The LORD. Call me this name for all time to come.16‘Go. Gather the elders of Israel together. Say to them, “The LORD, the God of your fathers, appeared to me. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God said, ‘I have watched over you. I have seen what the Egyptians have done to you.17I have promised to bring you up out of Egypt where you are suffering. I will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. It is a land that has plenty of milk and honey.’ ”18‘The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders must go to the king of Egypt. You must say to him, “The LORD has met with us. He is the God of the Hebrews. Let us take a journey that lasts about three days. We want to go into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.”19But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you and your people go. Only a mighty hand could make him do that.20So I will reach out my hand. I will strike the Egyptians with all the amazing things I will do. After that, their king will let you go.21‘I will cause the Egyptians to treat you in a kind way. Then when you leave, you will not go with your hands empty.22Every woman should ask her neighbour and any woman living in her house for things made out of silver and gold. Ask them for clothes too. Put them on your children. In that way, you will take the wealth of Egypt along with you.’
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)