Moses and the Burning Bush

3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro^(A) his father-in-law, the priest of Midian,^(B) and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb,^(C) the mountain^(D) of God. ² There the angel of the Lord^(E) appeared to him in flames of fire^(F) from within a bush.^(G) Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. ³ So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

⁴ When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called^(H) to him from within the bush,^(I) “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”^(J)

⁵ “Do not come any closer,”^(K) God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”^(L)

¹¹ The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain^(A) in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”^(B)

Then a great and powerful wind^(C) tore the mountains apart and shattered^(D) the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire,^(E) but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.^{(F) 13} When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face^(G) and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.^{(A) 32} So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

²⁶ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.^(A)

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good^(A) of those who love him, who^[a] have been called^(B) according to his purpose.^(C)