The Burning Bush

¹Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. One day he led the flock deep into the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ²There the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a flame of fire blazing from the middle of a bush. Moses stared — the bush was on fire, but it wasn't burning up. ³Moses said, "I will go over and see this great sight, why the bush is not burning up." ⁴When the LORD saw that Moses came closer to look, God called out to him from the middle of the bush: "Moses! Moses!" Moses answered, "Here I am." ⁵God said, "Don't come any closer. Take off your sandals, because the ground you're standing on is holy." ⁶Then he said, "I am the God of your father — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God. ⁷The LORD said, "I have clearly seen the suffering of my people in Egypt. I've heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I know their pain. ⁸So I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land into a good and spacious land — a land flowing with milk and honey — the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. ⁹"Now, therefore, look: the cry of the children of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them." ¹⁰So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." ¹¹But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" ¹²And he said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this will be a sign to you that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." ¹³Moses said to God, "When I go to the children of Israel and tell them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what should I say to them?" ¹⁴God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." Then he said, "Tell the Israelites this: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" ¹⁵God also said to Moses, "Tell 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 memorial to all generations." ¹⁶Go and gather the elders of Israel together and tell them, 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me and said: I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt.' ¹⁷And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey. ¹⁸They will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and say to him, "The LORD God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, we beg you, let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God." ¹⁹And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. ²⁰So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders I will perform there. After that, he will let you go. ²¹And I will make the Egyptians look favorably upon this people, so that when you leave, you will not leave empty-handed. ²²But every woman shall borrow from her neighbor and from any woman living in her house, silver jewelry, gold jewelry, and clothing. You will put them on your sons and daughters, and you will spoil the Egyptians.