上帝呼召摩西

摩西為岳父米甸祭司葉忒羅放羊。一天他領著羊群穿越曠野,來到上帝的山——何烈山。 忽然有耶和華的天使在荊棘裡的火焰中向他顯現。摩西看見荊棘雖然在燃燒,卻沒有被燒毀。 摩西想:「我要過去看這個奇異的景象,荊棘為什麼沒有被燒掉呢?」 耶和華上帝見他要上前觀看,就從荊棘叢中呼喚他說:「摩西!摩西!」摩西說:「我在這裡。」 上帝說:「別再靠近,脫下你腳上的鞋子,因為你所站的地方是聖地。」 又說:「我是你祖先的上帝,是亞伯拉罕的上帝,以撒的上帝,雅各的上帝。」摩西害怕看上帝,就把臉蒙起來。 耶和華說:「我已經看見我子民在埃及所受的苦難,聽見了他們因監工的壓迫而發出的呼求。我知道他們的痛苦。 我下來是要從埃及人手中救他們,帶他們離開那裡,到一個遼闊肥沃的奶蜜之鄉,就是現在迦南人、赫人、亞摩利人、比利洗人、希未人和耶布斯人居住的地方。 現在,以色列人的呼求傳到我耳中,我也看到了埃及人怎樣壓迫他們。 10 現在去吧,我要派你到法老那裡,帶領我的以色列子民離開埃及。」 11 但摩西對上帝說:「我是誰啊?怎麼能去見法老,把以色列人從埃及領出來呢?」 12 上帝說:「我必與你同在,你帶百姓離開埃及後,你們必在這座山上事奉我——這將是我派你去的證據。」 13 摩西問上帝:「假如我到以色列人那裡,對他們說,『你們祖先的上帝派我來你們這裡。』他們如果問我,『祂叫什麼名字?』我該怎樣回答他們呢?」 14 上帝對摩西說:「我是自有永有者。你要這樣回答以色列人,『那位自有永有者派我到你們這裡。』」 15 上帝又對摩西說:「你要告訴以色列人是我派遣你到他們那裡,我是他們祖先的上帝耶和華,是亞伯拉罕的上帝,以撒的上帝,雅各的上帝。耶和華是我的名字,直到永遠,世世代代的人都要這樣稱呼我。 16 你去招聚以色列的長老,對他們說,『你們祖先的上帝耶和華,就是亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的上帝向我顯現,說祂關切你們,知道你們在埃及的遭遇。 17 祂應許要帶領你們脫離在埃及所受的苦難,到迦南人、赫人、亞摩利人、比利洗人,希未人和耶布斯人住的地方,那裡是奶蜜之鄉。』 18 以色列的長老們必定聽從你的話,你就跟他們一起去見埃及王,對他說,『希伯來人的上帝耶和華向我們顯現。現在請你容許我們走三天的路程,到曠野去,向我們的上帝耶和華獻祭。』 19 我也知道除非我用大能的手向他施壓,不然埃及王不會讓你們離開。 20 因此,我必伸手行各種神蹟攻擊埃及,之後他必讓你們離開。 21 我必使埃及人恩待你們,好叫你們不致空手離開埃及。 22 你們的婦女只管向埃及鄰居及住在鄰居家的婦女索取金器、銀器和衣服,給自己的兒女穿戴,你們必這樣奪取埃及人的財物。」

And Moses hath been feeding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, priest of Midian, and he leadeth the flock behind the wilderness, and cometh in unto the mount of God, to Horeb;

and there appeareth unto him a messenger of Jehovah in a flame of fire, out of the midst of the bush, and he seeth, and lo, the bush is burning with fire, and the bush is not consumed.

And Moses saith, `Let me turn aside, I pray thee, and I see this great appearance; wherefore is the bush not burned?'

and Jehovah seeth that he hath turned aside to see, and God calleth unto him out of the midst of the bush, and saith, `Moses, Moses;' and he saith, `Here [am] I.'

And He saith, `Come not near hither: cast thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place on which thou art standing is holy ground.'

He saith also, `I [am] the God of thy father, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob;' and Moses hideth his face, for he is afraid to look towards God.

And Jehovah saith, `I have certainly seen the affliction of My people who [are] in Egypt, and their cry I have heard, because of its exactors, for I have known its pains;

and I go down to deliver it out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to cause it to go up out of the land, unto a land good and broad, unto a land flowing with milk and honey -- unto the place of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

`And now, lo, the cry of the sons of Israel hath come in unto Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them,

10 and now, come, and I send thee unto Pharaoh, and bring thou out My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.'

11 And Moses saith unto God, `Who [am] I, that I go unto Pharaoh, and that I bring out the sons of Israel from Egypt?'

12 and He saith, `Because I am with thee, and this [is] to thee the sign that I have sent thee: in thy bringing out the people from Egypt -- ye do serve God on this mount.'

13 And Moses saith unto God, `Lo, I am coming unto the sons of Israel, and have said to them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you, and they have said to me, What [is] His name? what do I say unto them?'

14 And God saith unto Moses, `I Am That Which I Am;' He saith also, `Thus dost thou say to the sons of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.'

15 And God saith again unto Moses, `Thus dost thou say unto the sons of Israel, Jehovah, God of your fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you; this [is] My name -- to the age, and this My memorial, to generation -- generation.

16 `Go, and thou hast gathered the elders of Israel, and hast said unto them: Jehovah, God of your fathers, hath appeareth unto me, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, I have certainly inspected you, and that which is done to you in Egypt;

17 and I say, I bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, unto the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, unto a land flowing [with] milk and honey.

18 `And they have hearkened to thy voice, and thou hast entered, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye have said unto him, Jehovah, God of the Hebrews, hath met with us; and now, let us go, we pray thee, a journey of three days into the wilderness, and we sacrifice to Jehovah our God.

19 `And I -- I have known that the king of Egypt doth not permit you to go, unless by a strong hand,

20 and I have put forth My hand, and have smitten Egypt with all My wonders, which I do in its midst -- and afterwards he doth send you away.

21 `And I have given the grace of this people in the eyes of the Egyptians, and it hath come to pass, when ye go, ye go not empty;

22 and [every] woman hath asked from her neighbour, and from her who is sojourning in her house, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and ye have put [them] on your sons and on your daughters, and have spoiled the Egyptians.'