23 During that long period,(A) the king of Egypt died.(B) The Israelites groaned in their slavery(C) and cried out, and their cry(D) for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered(E) his covenant(F) with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned(G) about them.

Moses and the Burning Bush

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro(H) his father-in-law, the priest of Midian,(I) and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb,(J) the mountain(K) of God. There the angel of the Lord(L) appeared to him in flames of fire(M) from within a bush.(N) Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called(O) to him from within the bush,(P) “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”(Q)

“Do not come any closer,”(R) God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”(S) Then he said, “I am the God of your father,[a] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”(T) At this, Moses hid(U) his face, because he was afraid to look at God.(V)

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen(W) the misery(X) of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned(Y) about their suffering.(Z) So I have come down(AA) to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land,(AB) a land flowing with milk and honey(AC)—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites(AD) and Jebusites.(AE) And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing(AF) them. 10 So now, go. I am sending(AG) you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”(AH)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 3:6 Masoretic Text; Samaritan Pentateuch (see Acts 7:32) fathers

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