Exodus 3
English Standard Version
The Burning Bush
3 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the (A)mountain of God. 2 (B)And (C)the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, (D)God called to him (E)out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; (F)take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, (G)“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 (H)he was afraid to look at God.
7 Then the Lord said, (I)“I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their (J)taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and (K)I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and (L)to bring them up out of that land to a (M)good and broad land, a land (N)flowing with milk and honey, to the place of (O)the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, (P)the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the (Q)oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 (R)Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, (S)“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, (T)“But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, (U)you shall serve God on 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.”[a] And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: (V)‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord,[b] the (W)God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is (X)my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16 Go and (Y)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, (Z)“I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that (AA)I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land (AB)flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 And (AC)they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel (AD)shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has (AE)met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt (AF)will not let you go unless compelled (AG)by a mighty hand.[c] 20 So (AH)I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with (AI)all the wonders that I will do in it; (AJ)after that he will let you go. 21 And (AK)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 any woman who lives in her house, for (AL)silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So (AM)you shall plunder the Egyptians.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 3:14 Or I am what I am, or I will be what I will be
- Exodus 3:15 The word Lord, when spelled with capital letters, stands for the divine name, YHWH, which is here connected with the verb hayah, “to be” in verse 14
- Exodus 3:19 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew go, not by a mighty hand
Shemot 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 Now Moshe was ro’eh (shepherding) the tzon of Yitro his khoten (fatherin- law), the kohen Midyan; and he led the tzon to the backside of the midbar, and came to the Har HaElohim, even to Chorev.
2 And the Malach Hashem appeared unto him in a flame of eish out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and, hinei, the bush burned with eish, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moshe thought, I will now turn aside, and see this mareh hagadol, why the bush is not burned up.
4 And when Hashem saw that he turned aside to see, Elohim called out unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moshe, Moshe. And he said, Hineni.
5 And He said, Draw not nearer here; put off thy na’alayim (sandals) from off thy raglayim, for hamakom whereon thou standest is admat kodesh.
6 Moreover He said, I am Elohei Avicha, Elohei Avraham, Elohei Yitzchak, and Elohei Ya’akov. And Moshe hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon HaElohim.
7 And Hashem said, I have surely seen the oni ami (affliction of My people) which are in Mitzrayim, and have heard their cry by reason of their nogesim (taskmasters); for I know their makhovim (sufferings);
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the yad Mitzrayim, and to bring them up out of that land unto an eretz tovah, a spacious eretz zavat cholov udevash; unto the place of the Kena’ani, and the Chitti, and the Emori, and the Perizzi, and the Chivi, and the Yevusi.
9 Now therefore, hinei, the cry of the Bnei Yisroel is come unto Me; and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people the Bnei Yisroel out of Mitzrayim.
11 And Moshe said unto HaElohim, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the Bnei Yisroel out of Mitzrayim?
12 And He said, Certainly Eh-heh-yeh (I will be [see verse below]) with thee; and this shall be haOt (the Sign) unto thee, that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth HaAm out of Mitzrayim, ye shall serve HaElohim upon this Har.
13 And Moshe said unto HaElohim, Hinei, when I come unto the Bnei Yisroel, and shall say unto them, Elohei Avoteichem hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is Shmo? what shall I say unto them?
14 And Elohim said unto Moshe, Eh-heh-yeh ashair Ehheh- yeh (I AM WHO I AM); and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the Bnei Yisroel, EHHEH-YEH (I AM) hath sent me unto you.
15 And Elohim said moreover unto Moshe, Thus shalt thou say unto Bnei Yisroel: Hashem, Elohei Avoteichem, Elohei Avraham, Elohei Yitzchak, and Elohei Ya’akov, hath sent me unto you: this is Shemi l’olam, and this is My remembrance unto all generations.
16 Go, and gather the Ziknei Yisroel together, and say unto them, Hashem Elohei Avoteichem, Elohei Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Mitzrayim;
17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the Oni Mitzrayim unto the eretz Kena’ani, and the Chitti, and the Emori, and the Perizzi, and the Chivi, and the Yevusi unto eretz zavat cholov udevash.
18 And they shall pay heed to thy voice; and thou shalt go, thou and the Ziknei Yisroel, unto Melech Mitzrayim, and ye shall say unto him, Hashem Elohei HaIvriyim hath met with us; and let us go, now, derech shloshet yamim into the midbar, that we may sacrifice to Hashem Eloheinu.
19 And I have da’as that Melech Mitzrayim will not let you go, no, except by a yad chazakah.
20 And I will stretch out My yad, and strike Mitzrayim with all My nifle’ot which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that he will let you go.
21 And I will give this people chen in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty-handed.
22 But every isha shall borrow of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her bais, jewels of kesef, and jewels of zahav, and clothing; and ye shall put them upon your banim, and upon your banot; so ye shall plunder the Egyptians.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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