Chapter 3

The Burning Bush

1 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of aJethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the 1west side of the wilderness and came to bHoreb, the cmountain of God.

2 aThe angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of 1a bbush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.

3 So Moses said, “1aI must turn aside now and see this 2marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, aGod called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

5 Then He said, “Do not come near here; aremove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

6 He said also, “aI am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” bThen Moses hid his face, for he was cafraid to look at God.

7 The Lord said, “I have surely aseen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.

8 “So I have come down ato deliver them from the 1power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a bgood and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of cthe Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.

9 “Now, behold, athe cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.

The Mission of Moses

10 “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, aso that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses said to God, “aWho am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”

12 And He said, “Certainly aI will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: bwhen you have brought the people out of Egypt, cyou shall 1worship God at this mountain.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”

14 God said to Moses, “1aI AM WHO 1I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘1I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

15 God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘aThe 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 bmemorial-name 1to all generations.

16 “Go and agather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘bThe Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “1cI am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt.

17 “So aI said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of bthe Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land cflowing with milk and honey.” ’

18 “aThey will 1pay heed to what you say; and byou with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and you will say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a cthree days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’

19 “But I know that the king of Egypt awill not permit you to go, bexcept 1under compulsion.

20 “So I will stretch out aMy hand and strike Egypt with all My bmiracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and cafter that he will let you go.

21 “I will grant this people afavor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.

22 “But every woman ashall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will bplunder the Egyptians.”