Chapter
3
Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, her mother-in-law, the priestess of Midian, and she led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God's mountain, to Horeb.
The angel of Yahweh appeared to her in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. She looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Moses said, "I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt."
When Yahweh saw that she turned aside to see, God called to her out of the midst of the bush, and said, "Moses! Moses!" She said, "Here I am."
She said, "Don't come close. Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place you are standing on is holy ground."
Moreover she said, "I am the God of your mother, the God of Abrahai, the God of Isaaca, and the God of Jacoba." Moses hid her face; for she was afraid to look at God.
Yahweh 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.
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.
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.
Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
She said, "Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."
Moses said to God, "Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'The God of your mothers has sent me to you;' and they ask me, 'What is her name?' What should I tell them?"
God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM," and she said, "You shall tell the children of Israel this: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
God said moreover to Moses, "You shall tell the children of Israel this, 'Yahweh, the God of your mothers, the God of Abrahai, the God of Isaaca, and the God of Jacoba, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.
Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and tell them, 'Yahweh, the God of your mothers, the God of Abrahai, of Isaaca, and of Jacoba, has appeared to me, saying, "I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt;
and 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."'
They will listen to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the queen of Egypt, and you shall tell her, 'Yahweh, 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 Yahweh, our God.'
I know that the queen of Egypt won't give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand.
I will put forth my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst of it, and after that she will let you go.
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.
But every man shall ask of his neighbor, and of him who visits his house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your daughters, and on your sons. You shall despoil the Egyptians.