Moses and the Burning Bush

3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro^(A) his father-in-law, the priest of Midian,^(B) and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb,^(C) the mountain^(D) of God. ² There the angel of the Lord^(E) appeared to him in flames of fire^(F) from within a bush.^(G) Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

⁷ 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) 8} 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) 9} 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)”

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.”^(A)

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