ExodusChapter 3

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¹Moses was taking care of the flock of his father-in-law Jethro. Jethro was the priest of Midian. Moses led the flock to the far side of the wilderness. He came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ²There the angel of the LORD appeared to him. He was in a flame of fire inside a bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire. But it did not burn up. ³So Moses thought, "I must go over and see this amazing sight. Why doesn't the bush burn up?" ⁴The LORD saw that Moses had come over to look. So God called to him from inside the bush. "Moses, Moses!" Moses answered, "Here I am." ⁵God said, "Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals. The place where you are standing is holy ground." ⁶Then he said, "I am the God of your father. I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." When Moses heard this, he hid his face. He was afraid to look at God. ⁷The LORD said, "I have surely seen how my people in Egypt are suffering. I have heard them cry out because of their cruel bosses. I know how much they are hurting. ⁸I have come down to save them from the power of the Egyptians. I will bring them out of that land. I will bring them to a good land with lots of room. It is a land flowing with milk and honey. It is the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ⁹Now the cry of the Israelites has come to me. I have seen how badly the Egyptians are treating them. ¹⁰So go now! I am sending you to Pharaoh. You will bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." ¹¹But Moses said to God, "Who am I to go to Pharaoh? Who am I to bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" ¹²God said, "I will surely be with you. Here is the sign that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain." ¹³Then Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites. I tell them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Then they ask me, 'What is his name?' What should I tell them?" ¹⁴God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you must say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" ¹⁵God also said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'The LORD has sent me to you. He is the God of your fathers. He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' This is my name forever. This is the name people will remember me by in every generation.a ¹⁶Go and gather the leaders of Israel. Say to them, 'The LORD has appeared to me. He is the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He said: I have surely come to help you. I have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. ¹⁷I have promised to bring you up out of your suffering in Egypt. I will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. It is a land flowing with milk and honey.' ¹⁸The leaders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the leaders must go to the king of Egypt. Tell him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness, so that we may offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.' ¹⁹But I know the king of Egypt will not let you go. He will only let you go if a mighty hand forces him. ²⁰So I will reach out my hand. I will strike the Egyptians with all the wonders I will do among them. After that, he will let you go. ²¹I will make the Egyptians kind to these people. So when you leave, you will not go away with empty hands. ²²Every woman will ask her neighbor for silver and gold jewelry and for clothes. She will also ask any woman living in her house. You will put these things on your sons and daughters. This is how you will take the riches of the Egyptians."