New Living Translation | NET Bible |
1One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. | 1Now Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. |
2There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. | 2The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. He looked--and the bush was ablaze with fire, but it was not being consumed! |
3“This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.” | 3So Moses thought, "I will turn aside to see this amazing sight. Why does the bush not burn up?" |
4When the LORD saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. | 4When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him from within the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." |
5“Do not come any closer,” the LORD warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. | 5God said, "Do not approach any closer! Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." |
6I am the God of your father —the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God. | 6He added, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. |
7Then the LORD told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. | 7The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. |
8So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. | 8I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a land that is both good and spacious, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the region of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. |
9Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. | 9And now indeed the cry of the Israelites has come to me, and I have also seen how severely the Egyptians oppress them. |
10Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” | 10So now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." |
11But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” | 11Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, or that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" |
12God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.” | 12He replied, "Surely I will be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you and they will serve God on this mountain." |
13But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” | 13Moses said to God, "If I go to the Israelites and tell them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?'--what should I say to them?" |
14God replied to Moses, “ I Am Who I Am . Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” | 14God said to Moses, "I am that I am." And he said, "You must say this to the Israelites, 'I am has sent me to you.'" |
15God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations. | 15God also said to Moses, "You must say this to the Israelites, 'The LORD--the God of your fathers, 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 memorial from generation to generation.' |
16“Now go and call together all the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me. He told me, “I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you. | 16"Go and bring together the elders of Israel and tell them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, appeared to me--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--saying, "I have attended carefully to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt, |
17I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.”’ | 17and I have promised that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey."' |
18“The elders of Israel will accept your message. Then you and the elders must go to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD, our God.’ | 18"The elders will listen to you, and then you and the elders of Israel must go to the king of Egypt and tell him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.' |
19“But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand forces him. | 19But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, not even under force. |
20So I will raise my hand and strike the Egyptians, performing all kinds of miracles among them. Then at last he will let you go. | 20So I will extend my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do among them, and after that he will release you. |
21And I will cause the Egyptians to look favorably on you. They will give you gifts when you go so you will not leave empty-handed. | 21"I will grant this people favor with the Egyptians, so that when you depart you will not leave empty-handed. |
22Every Israelite woman will ask for articles of silver and gold and fine clothing from her Egyptian neighbors and from the foreign women in their houses. You will dress your sons and daughters with these, stripping the Egyptians of their wealth.” | 22Every woman will ask her neighbor and the one who happens to be staying in her house for items of silver and gold and for clothing. You will put these articles on your sons and daughters--thus you will plunder Egypt!" |
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