Exodus 3

1. Now Moses kept the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the west side of the desert. And he came to the mountain of God, to Horeb.

2. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire, out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire! And the bush was not consumed.

3. And Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn up.”

4. And the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see. God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

5. And He said, “Do not come near here. Put off your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.”

6. And He said, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

7. And the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

8. And I am coming down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, to bring them up out of that land, to a good land, a large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.

9. And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me. And I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

10. And now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring forth My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

11. And 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?”

12. And He said, “I will be with you. And this shall be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain.”

13. And Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and shall say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they shall say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”

14. And God said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

15. And God said to Moses again, “You shall say this to the children of Israel, ‘The LORD 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 title from generation to generation.’

16. Go, and gather the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD God of your fathers has appeared to me, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, “I have surely visited you and have observed what is done to you in Egypt.

17. And I have said, ‘I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.’ ” ‘

18. And they shall hearken to your voice. And you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt. And you shall say to him, ‘The LORD God of the Hebrews has met with us. And now let us go, we beseech you, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’

19. And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

20. And I will stretch out My hand and smite Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in the midst of it. And after that he will let you go.

21. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. And it shall be that when you go, you shall not go empty.

22. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her that stays in her house, jewels of silver and jewels of gold and clothing. And you shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters. And you shall retrieve these from the Egyptians.”