[1] Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the
priest of Mid'ian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness,
and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. [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 lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. [3] And
Moses said, "I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is
not burnt." [4] When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called
to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here am I." [5] Then
he said, "Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the
place on which you are standing is holy ground." [6] And he said, "I am the
God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. [7] Then
the LORD said, "I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt,
and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their
sufferings, [8] and 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 broad land,
a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the
Hittites, the Amorites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb'usites.
[9] And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I
have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. [10] Come,
I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring forth my people, the sons of
Israel, out of Egypt." [11] But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should
go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" [12] He said,
"But I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you, that I have
sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall
serve God upon this mountain." [13] Then Moses said to God, "If I come to
the people of Israel and say to them, `The God of your fathers has sent me
to you,' and they ask me, `What is his name?' what shall I say to them?"
[14] God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the
people of Israel, `I AM has sent me to you.'" [15] God also said to Moses,
"Say this to the people of Israel, `The 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 for ever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout
all generations. [16] Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say
to them, `The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac,
and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I have observed you and what has
been done to you in Egypt; [17] and I promise that I will bring you up out
of the affliction of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites,
the Amorites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb'usites, a land
flowing with milk and honey."' [18] And they will hearken to your voice;
and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to
him, `The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, we pray
you, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may
sacrifice to the LORD our God.' [19] I know that the king of Egypt will not
let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. [20] So I will stretch out my
hand and smite Egypt with all the wonders which I will do in it; after that
he will let you go. [21] And I will give this people favor in the sight of
the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, [22] but each woman
shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who sojourns in her house, jewelry of
silver and of gold, and clothing, and you shall put them on your sons and
on your daughters; thus you shall despoil the Egyptians."