1   Moses was minding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, priest of Midian. He led the flock along the side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2   There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in the flame of a burning bush. Moses noticed that, although the bush was on fire, it was not being burnt up; 3   so he said to himself, ‘I must go across to see this wonderful sight. Why does not the bush burn away?’ 4   When the Lord saw that Moses had turned aside to look, he ^note called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses.’ And Moses answered, ‘Yes, I am here.’ 5   God said, ‘Come no nearer; take off your sandals; the place where you are standing is holy ground.’ 6   Then he said, ‘I am the God of your forefathers, ^note the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.’ Moses covered his face, for he was afraid to gaze on God.

7   The Lord said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard their outcry against their slave-masters. I have taken heed of their sufferings, 8   and have come down to rescue them from the power of Egypt, and to bring them up out of that country into a fine, broad land; it is a land flowing with milk and honey, the home of Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 9   The outcry of the Israelites has now reached me; yes, I have seen the brutality of the Egyptians towards them. 10   Come now; I will send you to Pharaoh and you shall bring my people Israel out of Egypt.’ 11   ‘But who am I,’ Moses said to God, ‘that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ 12   God ^note answered, ‘I am ^note with you. This shall be the proof that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall all worship God here on this mountain.’

13   Then Moses said to God, ‘If I go to the Israelites and tell them that the God of their forefathers has sent me to them, and they ask me his name, what shall I say?’ 14   God answered, ‘I am; that is who I am. ^noteTell

Israel enslaved in Egypt them that I am has sent you to them.’ 15   And God said further, ‘You must tell the Israelites this, that it is Jehovah ^note the God of their forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, who has sent you to them. This is my name for ever; this is my title in every generation. 16   Go and assemble the elders of Israel and tell them that Jehovah the God of their forefathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to you and has said, “I have indeed turned my eyes towards you; I have marked all that has been done to you in Egypt, 17   and I am resolved to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt, into the country of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” 18   They will listen to you, and then you and the elders of Israel must go to the king of Egypt. Tell him, “It has happened that the Lord the God of the Hebrews met us. So now give us leave to go a three days' journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifice to the Lord our God.” 19   I know well that the king of Egypt will not give you leave unless he is compelled. 20   I shall then stretch out my hand and assail the Egyptians with all the miracles I shall work among them. After that he will send you away. 21   Further, I will bring this people into such favour with the Egyptians that, when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22   Every woman shall ask her neighbour or any woman who lives in her house for jewellery of silver and gold and for clothing. Load your sons and daughters with them, and plunder Egypt.’

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