Exodus 3

The Burning Bush

1Now Moses was pasturing the flock of 1Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the 2west side of the wilderness and came to 3Horeb, the 4mountain of God. 25The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of 6a 7bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3So Moses said, “89I must turn aside now and see this 10marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” 4When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, 11God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5Then He said, “Do not come near here; 12remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6He said also, “13I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” 14Then Moses hid his face, for he was 15afraid to look at God.

7The Lord said, “I have surely 16seen 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. 8So I have come down 17to deliver them from the 18power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a 19good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of 20the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9Now, behold, 21the 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

10Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, 22so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11But Moses said to God, “23Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12And He said, “Certainly 24I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: 25when you have brought the people out of Egypt, 26you shall 27worship God at this mountain.”

13Then 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?” 14God said to Moses, “2829I AM WHO 30I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘31I AM has sent me to you.’” 15God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘32The 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 33memorial-name 34to all generations. 16Go and 35gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘36The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “3738I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. 17So 39I said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of 40the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land 41flowing with milk and honey.”’ 1842They will 43pay heed to what you say; and 44you 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 45three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19But I know that the king of Egypt 46will not permit you to go, 47except 48under compulsion. 20So I will stretch out 49My hand and strike Egypt with all My 50miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and 51after that he will let you go. 21I will grant this people 52favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22But every woman 53shall 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 54plunder the Egyptians.”