God Appears in Burning Bush

1Now 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 Horeb, the mountain of God. 2The Angel of YHWH appeared to him in a flame of fire from the middle of a bush. He looked and noticed that though the bush burned with fire, the bush was not consumed. 3Moses said, “I will go now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”

4When YHWH saw that he came over to see, God called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!”

He said, “Here I am.”

5He said, “Don’t come close. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing is holy ground.” 6Moreover ʜᴇ said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.

7YHWH said, “I have seen-seen the misery of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their slave drivers, for I know their sorrows. 8I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 9Now look! The cry of the children of Israel has come to me. I have seen their oppression adn how the Egyptians oppress them. 10Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

11Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

12Hᴇ said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the sign that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, y’all will serve God on this mountain.”

God Shares Hɪꜱ Name

13Moses said to God, “When I come to the children of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your* ancestors has sent me to y’all,’ and they ask me, ‘What is ʜɪꜱ name?’ what should I tell them?”

14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and ʜᴇ said, “This is what you are to tell the children of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to y’all.’” 15God also said to Moses, “You are to tell the children of Israel this, ‘YHWH,+3:15 “YHWH” (יהוה‎) sounds like the Hebrew for “I am”. the God of your* ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to y’all.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations. 16You are to go and gather the elders of Israel together, and tell them, ‘YHWH, the God of y’all’s ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have watched-watched y’all and have seen what has been done to y’all in Egypt. 17I have said that I will bring y’all up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18They will listen to your voice. Then you must go, along with the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and y’all are to tell him, ‘YHWH, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to YHWH, our God.’ 19I know that the king of Egypt will not permit y’all to go, not even by a strong hand. 20I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do among them, and after that he will let y’all go. 21I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that when you go, y’all won’t go empty-handed. 22But every woman will ask her neighbor and any woman visits her house for articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. Y’all will put them on y’all’s sons and daughters. And so y’all will plunder the Egyptians.”