Exodus 3
Lexham English Bible
Yahweh’s Plan to Rescue the Israelites
3 And Moses was a shepherd with the flock[a] of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the west of the desert, and he came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. 2 And the angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush, and he looked, and there was the bush burning with fire, but the bush was not being consumed. 3 And Moses said, “Let me turn aside and see this great sight. Why does the bush not burn up?” 4 And Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, and God called to him from the midst of the bush, and he said, “Moses, Moses.” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 And he said, “You must not come near to here. Take off your sandals from on your feet, because the place on which you are standing, it is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “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 because he was afraid of looking at God.
7 And Yahweh said, “Surely I have seen the misery of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry of distress because of their oppressors, for I know their sufferings. 8 And I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from this land to a good and wide land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites[b] and the Hittites[c] and the Amorites[d] and the Perizzites[e] and the Hivites[f] and the Jebusites.[g] 9 And now, look, the cry of distress of the Israelites[h] has come to me, and also I see the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and you must bring my people, the Israelites,[i] out from Egypt.”
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites[j] out from Egypt?” 12 And he said, “Because I am with you, and this will be the sign for you that I myself have sent you: When you bring the people out from Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain.” 13 But Moses said to God, “Look, if I go to the Israelites[k] and I say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors[l] has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is his name?’ then what shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I am that I am.” And he said, “So you must say to the Israelites,[m] ‘I am sent me to you.’”
15 And God said again to Moses, “So you must say to the Israelites,[n] ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,[o] 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 remembrance from generation to generation.’ 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,[p] appeared to me, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, “I have carefully attended to you and what has been done to you in Egypt.” 17 And I said, “I will bring you up from the misery of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites[q] and the Hittites[r] and the Amorites[s] and the Perizzites[t] and the Hivites[u] and the Jebusites,[v] to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 And they will listen to your voice, and you will go, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you will say to him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews has met with us, and now let us please go on a journey of three days into the desert, and let us sacrifice to Yahweh our God.’
19 But I myself know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless compelled by a strong hand.[w] 20 And I will stretch out my hand, and I will strike Egypt with all of my wonders that I will do in its midst, and afterward[x] he will release you. 21 And I will give this people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and then[y] when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22 And a woman will ask from her neighbor and from the woman dwelling as an alien in her house for objects of silver and objects of gold and garments, and you will put them on your sons and on your daughters; and you will plunder Egypt.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 3:1 The Hebrew noun translated “flock” in this verse is used collectively for sheep or goats or a mix of the two.
- Exodus 3:8 Hebrew “Canaanite”
- Exodus 3:8 Hebrew “Hittite”
- Exodus 3:8 Hebrew “Amorite”
- Exodus 3:8 Hebrew “Perizzite”
- Exodus 3:8 Hebrew “Hivite”
- Exodus 3:8 Hebrew “Jebusite”
- Exodus 3:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 3:10 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 3:11 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 3:13 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 3:13 Or “fathers”
- Exodus 3:14 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 3:15 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 3:15 Or “fathers”
- Exodus 3:16 Or “fathers”
- Exodus 3:17 Hebrew “Canaanite”
- Exodus 3:17 Hebrew “Hittite”
- Exodus 3:17 Hebrew “Amorite”
- Exodus 3:17 Hebrew “Perizzite”
- Exodus 3:17 Hebrew “Hivite”
- Exodus 3:17 Hebrew “Jebusite”
- Exodus 3:19 Literally “and not with a strong hand”
- Exodus 3:20 Literally “after so” or “after I do so”
- Exodus 3:21 Literally “and he/it will be”
Exodus 3
American Standard Version
3 Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb. 2 And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. 7 And Jehovah said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, 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. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: moreover I have 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 children of Israel out of Egypt. 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be the token unto thee, that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, [a]I am that I am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, [b]I am hath sent me unto you. 15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. 16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: 17 and I have said, I will 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 shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us: and now let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God. 19 And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go, no, not by a mighty hand. 20 And I will put forth my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: 22 but every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall despoil the Egyptians.
Footnotes
- Exodus 3:14 Or, I am, because I am. Or, I am who am. Or, I will be that I will be
- Exodus 3:14 Hebrew Ehyeh. From the same root as Jehovah.
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)