3
1 Now
Moses was keeping
the flock of
Jethro, his
father-in-law, the
priest of Midian,
and he led
the flock to
the back of the
wilderness, and
came to God’s
mountain, to Horeb.
2 The
LORD’s
angel appeared to
him in a
flame of fire out
of the middle
of a bush.
He looked, and
behold, the bush
burned with fire,
and the bush
was not consumed.
3 Moses said,
“I will go
now, and see
this great sight,
why the bush
is not burned.”
4 When
the LORD saw
that he came
over to see,
God called to
him out of
the middle of
the bush, and
said, “Moses!
Moses!”
He said, “Here
I am.”
5 He said,
“Don’t come close.
Take off your
sandals, for the
place you are
standing on is
holy ground.”
6 Moreover
he said, “I am
the God of
your father, the God
of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob.”
Moses hid his
face because he
was afraid to
look at God.
7 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, for I
know their sorrows.
8 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 large
land, to a
land flowing with
milk and honey;
to the place
of the Canaanite,
the Hittite,
the Amorite, the
Perizzite, the
Hivite, and the
Jebusite.
9 Now,
behold, the cry
of the children
of Israel has
come to me.
Moreover I have
seen the
oppression with
which the
Egyptians oppress
them.
10 Come
now therefore, and
I will send
you to Pharaoh,
that you may
bring my people,
the children of
Israel, out of
Egypt.”
11 Moses
said to God, “Who
am I, that I
should go to
Pharaoh, and that
I should bring
the children of
Israel out of
Egypt?”
12 He
said, “Certainly I
will be with
you. This will
be the token to
you, that I
have sent you:
when you have
brought the people
out of Egypt,
you shall serve
God on this
mountain.”
13 Moses said
to God, “Behold,
when I come
to the children
of Israel, and tell
them, ‘The God
of your fathers
has sent me
to you,’ and
they ask me, ‘What
is his name?’
what should I tell
them?”
14 God said
to Moses, “I
AM WHO I
AM,” and he said,
“You shall tell
the children of
Israel this: ‘I
AM has sent
me to you.’ ”
15 God said
moreover to Moses,
“You shall tell
the children of
Israel this, ‘The
LORD,
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 this
is my memorial
to all generations.
16 Go
and gather the
elders of
Israel together, and
tell them, ‘The
LORD, the God
of your fathers,
the God of Abraham,
of Isaac, and
of Jacob, has
appeared to me,
saying, “I have
surely visited you,
and seen that
which is done
to you in
Egypt.
17 I
have said, I will
bring you up
out of the
affliction of
Egypt to the land
of the Canaanite,
the Hittite,
the Amorite, the
Perizzite, the
Hivite, and the
Jebusite, to a land
flowing with milk
and honey.” ’
18 They
will listen to
your voice. You
shall come, you
and the elders
of Israel, to
the king of
Egypt, and you
shall tell him, ‘The
LORD, the God
of the Hebrews,
has met with
us. Now please
let us go
three days’
journey into the
wilderness, that
we may sacrifice
to the LORD,
our God.’
19 I
know that the
king of Egypt won’t
give you permission
to go, no,
not by a
mighty hand.
20 I
will reach out
my hand and
strike Egypt with
all my wonders
which I will
do among them,
and after that
he will let
you go.
21 I
will give this
people favor in
the sight of
the Egyptians, and
it will happen
that when you
go, you shall
not go
empty-handed.
22 But
every woman shall
ask of her
neighbor, and of
her who visits her
house, jewels of
silver, jewels of
gold, and clothing.
You shall put
them on your
sons, and on
your daughters.
You shall plunder
the Egyptians.”