Then the Lord said, (A)“I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their (B)taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and (C)I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and (D)to bring them up out of that land to a (E)good and broad land, a land (F)flowing with milk and honey, to the place of (G)the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, (H)the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the (I)oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 (J)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, (K)“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, (L)“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, (M)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: (N)I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord,[b] the (O)God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is (P)my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16 Go and (Q)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, (R)“I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that (S)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 (T)flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 And (U)they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel (V)shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has (W)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 (X)will not let you go unless compelled (Y)by a mighty hand.[c] 20 So (Z)I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with (AA)all the wonders that I will do in it; (AB)after that he will let you go. 21 And (AC)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 (AD)silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So (AE)you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

Moses Given Powerful Signs

Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, (AF)“A staff.” And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— “that they may (AG)believe that the Lord, (AH)the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.”[d] And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was (AI)leprous[e] like snow. Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, (AJ)it was restored like the rest of his flesh. “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile (AK)will become blood on the dry ground.”

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but (AL)I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and (AM)I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, (AN)he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 (AO)You shall speak to him and (AP)put the words in his mouth, and (AQ)I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 (AR)He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and (AS)you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand (AT)this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 3:14 Or I am what I am, or I will be what I will be
  2. 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
  3. Exodus 3:19 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew go, not by a mighty hand
  4. Exodus 4:6 Hebrew into your bosom; also verse 7
  5. Exodus 4:6 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen(A) the misery(B) of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned(C) about their suffering.(D) So I have come down(E) to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land,(F) a land flowing with milk and honey(G)—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites(H) and Jebusites.(I) And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing(J) them. 10 So now, go. I am sending(K) you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”(L)

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I(M) that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 And God said, “I will be with you.(N) And this will be the sign(O) to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you[a] will worship God on this mountain.(P)

13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’(Q) Then what shall I tell them?”

14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[b] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am(R) has sent me to you.’”

15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord,[c] the God of your fathers(S)—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob(T)—has sent me to you.’

“This is my name(U) forever,
    the name you shall call me
    from generation to generation.(V)

16 “Go, assemble the elders(W) of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob(X)—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen(Y) what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt(Z) into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’(AA)

18 “The elders of Israel will listen(AB) to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews,(AC) has met(AD) with us. Let us take a three-day journey(AE) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices(AF) to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand(AG) compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand(AH) and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders(AI) that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.(AJ)

21 “And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed(AK) toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed.(AL) 22 Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver(AM) and gold(AN) and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder(AO) the Egyptians.”(AP)

Signs for Moses

Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen(AQ) to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”

Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

“A staff,”(AR) he replied.

The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”

Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake,(AS) and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe(AT) that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”

Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous[d]—it had become as white as snow.(AU)

“Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored,(AV) like the rest of his flesh.

Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe(AW) you or pay attention to the first sign,(AX) they may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood(AY) on the ground.”

10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”(AZ)

11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute?(BA) Who gives them sight or makes them blind?(BB) Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go;(BC) I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”(BD)

13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”(BE)

14 Then the Lord’s anger burned(BF) against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet(BG) you, and he will be glad to see you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth;(BH) I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth(BI) and as if you were God to him.(BJ) 17 But take this staff(BK) in your hand(BL) so you can perform the signs(BM) with it.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 3:12 The Hebrew is plural.
  2. Exodus 3:14 Or I will be what I will be
  3. Exodus 3:15 The Hebrew for Lord sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for I am in verse 14.
  4. Exodus 4:6 The Hebrew word for leprous was used for various diseases affecting the skin.