Exodus 2:16-3:10

Contemporary English Version

¹⁶ the seven daughters of Jethro, the priest of Midian,^[a] came up to water their father's sheep and goats. ¹⁷ Some shepherds tried to chase them away, but Moses came to their rescue and watered their animals. ¹⁸ When Jethro's daughters returned home, their father asked, “Why have you come back so early today?”

¹⁹ They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds, and he even watered our sheep and goats.”

²⁰ “Where is he?” Jethro asked. “Why did you leave him out there? Invite him to eat with us.”

²¹ Moses agreed to stay on with Jethro, who later let his daughter Zipporah marry Moses. ²² And when she had a son, Moses said, “I will name him Gershom,^[b] since I am a foreigner in this country.”

²³ After the death of the king of Egypt, the Israelites still complained because they were forced to be slaves. They cried out for help, ^24 (A) and God heard their loud cries. He did not forget the promise he had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ²⁵ and because he knew what was happening to his people, he felt sorry for them.

God Speaks to Moses

3 One day, Moses was taking care of the sheep and goats of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and Moses decided to lead them across the desert to Sinai,^[c] the holy mountain. ^2 (B) There an angel of the Lord appeared to him from a burning bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire, but it was not burning up. ³ “This is strange!” he said to himself. “I'll go over and see why the bush isn't burning up.”

⁴ When the Lord saw Moses coming near, he called him by name from the bush, and Moses answered, “Here I am.”

⁵ God replied, “Don't come any closer. Take off your sandals—the ground where you are standing is holy. ⁶ I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Moses was afraid to look at God, and so he hid his face.

⁷ The Lord said:

I have seen how my people are suffering as slaves in Egypt, and I have heard them beg for my help because of the way they are being mistreated. I feel sorry for them, ⁸ and I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians.

I will bring my people out of Egypt into a country where there is a lot of good land, rich with milk and honey. I will give them the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. ⁹ My people have begged for my help, and I have seen how cruel the Egyptians are to them. ¹⁰ Now go to the king! I am sending you to lead my people out of his country.