Exodus 3:1–15

Moses and the Burning Bush

3 Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, q the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, r the mountain of God. s 2 Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. t As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. 3 So Moses thought: I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

5 “Do not come closer,” He said. “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” u 6 Then He continued, “I am the God of your father, v the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” w Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of My people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out x because of their oppressors, and I know about their sufferings. 8 I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey y—the territory of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. z 9 The Israelites’ cry for help has come to Me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing a them. 10 Therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead My people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I b that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, c and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship d God at this mountain.”

13 Then Moses asked God, “If 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?’ what should I tell them?”

14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. e f This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: * Yahweh, 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; g this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.