< Exodus 3 >

1 Now Moses fed the sheep of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Madian: and he drove the flock to the inner parts of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, Horeb.
Now, Moses, was shepherding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law priest of Midian, —so he led forth the flock behind the desert, and came in unto the mountain of God to Horeb.
2 And the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he saw that the bush was on fire and was not burnt.
Then appeared the messenger of Yahweh unto him, in a flame of fire from the midst of the thorn-bush, —so he looked and lo! the thorn-bush burning with fire and yet the thorn-bush, was not consumed.
3 And Moses said: I will go and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
And, Moses said, Let me turn aside, pray, and see this great sight, —why the thorn-bush, doth not burn up.
4 And when the Lord saw that he went forward to see, he called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said: Moses, Moses. And he answered: Here I am.
And Yahweh saw, that he turned aside to see, —so God called unto him out of the midst of the thorn-bush, and said—Moses! Moses! And he said—Behold me!
5 And he said: Come not nigh hither, put off the shoes from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
And he said—Do not draw nigh hither, —put off thy sandals from thy feet, for, the place whereon thou art standing is holy ground.
6 And he said: I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses hid his face: for he durst not look at God.
And he said—I, am the God of thy father, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
7 And the Lord said to him: I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of the rigour of them that are over the works:
Then said Yahweh, I have, seen, the humiliation of my people, who are in Egypt, —and their outcry, have I heard, by reason of their task-masters, for I know their pains;
8 And knowing their sorrow, I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land into a good and spacious land, into a land that floweth with milk and honey, to the places of the Chanaanite, and Hethite, and Amorrhite, and Pherezite, and Hevite, and Jebusite.
therefore have I come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians, and to take them up out of that land, into a land good and large, into a land flowing with milk and honey, —into the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite, and the Amorite and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
9 For the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have seen their affliction, wherewith they are oppressed by the Egyptians.
Now, therefore, lo! the outcry of the sons of Israel, hath come in unto me, —moreover also, I have seen the oppression, wherewith the Egyptians are oppressing them.
10 But come, and I will send thee to Pharao, that thou mayst bring forth my people, the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Now, therefore, come thou! that I may send thee unto Pharaoh, —and bring thou forth my people—the sons of Israel—out of Egypt.
11 And Moses said to God: Who am I that I should go to Pharao, and should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
And Moses said unto God, Who am, I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, —and that I should bring forth the sons of Israel out of Egypt?
12 And he said to him: I will be with thee: and this thou shalt have for a sign, that I have sent thee: When thou shalt have brought my people out of Egypt, thou shalt offer sacrifice to God upon this mountain.
And he said—I will be with thee, and, this, to thee, [shall be] the sign, that, I have sent thee, —When thou bringest forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall do service unto God, upon this mountain.
13 Moses said to God: Lo, I shall go to the children of Israel, and say to them: The God of your fathers hath sent me to you. If they should say to me: What is his name? what shall I say to them?
And Moses said unto God—Lo! as surely as, I, go in unto the sons of Israel, and say unto them, The God of your fathers, hath sent me unto you, So surely will they say unto me—What is his name? What shall I say unto them?
14 God said to Moses: I AM WHO AM. He said: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: HE WHO IS, hath sent me to you.
And God said unto Moses, I Will Become whatsoever I please, And he said—Thus, shalt thou say to the sons of Israel, I Will Become hath sent me unto you.
15 And God said again to Moses: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me to you: This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
And God said yet further unto Moses—Thus shalt thou say unto the sons of Israel, Yahweh God of your fathers. God of Abraham God of Isaac and God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you. This, is my name to times age-abiding, And, this, my memorial to generation after generation.
16 Go, gather together the ancients of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying: Visiting I have visited you: and I have seen all that hath befallen you in Egypt.
Go—and thou shalt gather together the elders of Israel and shalt say unto them-Yahweh God of your fathers, hath appeared unto me, the God of Abraham Isaac, and Jacob saying, —I am, concerned, for you, and for what is done to you in Egypt;
17 And I have said the word to bring you forth out of the affliction of Egypt, into the land of the Chanaanite, the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and Pherezite, and Hevite, and Jebusite, to a land that floweth with milk and honey.
therefore do I say—I will bring you up out of the humiliation of Egypt, into the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite, and the Amorite and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, —into a land flowing with milk and honey.
18 And they shall hear thy voice: and thou shalt go in, thou and the ancients of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and thou shalt say to him: The Lord God of the Hebrews hath called us: we will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, to sacrifice unto the Lord our God.
So will they hearken to thy voice, —and thou shalt go in—thou, and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt and ye shall say unto him—Yahweh, God of the Hebrews, hath fallen in with us, Now, therefore let us go, we pray thee, a journey of three days into the desert, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh, our God.
19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, but by a mighty hand.
But, I, know, that the king of Egypt will not suffer you to go, —not even by a firm hand.
20 For I will stretch forth my hand and will strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst of them: after these he will let you go.
So then I will put forth my hand and smite Egypt, with all my wonders, which I will do in the midst thereof, —and, after that, he will send you forth.
21 And I will give favour to this people, in the sight of the Egyptians: and when you go forth, you shall not depart empty:
Thus will I give favour to this people in the eyes of the Egyptians, —so shall it come to pass that when ye do go, ye shall not go empty;
22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that is in her house, vessels of silver and of gold, and raiment: and you shall put them on your sons and daughters, and shall spoil Egypt.
but every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold and mantles, —and ye shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters, so shall ye spoil the Egyptians.

< Exodus 3 >