Exodus [2]

Exodus 3

Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.

So Moses said, "I will turn aside now and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned."

When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."

Then He said, "Do not come near here. Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."

And He said, "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, for he was afraid to look at God.

And the Lord said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

So I 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 broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Now behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

Therefore come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."

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

And He said, "Surely I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."

Then Moses said to God, "Behold, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"

And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, '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 to all generations.

Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt.

And I have said that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey."'

Then they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please, let us go a three-day journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.'

But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go—not even by a mighty hand.

So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst, and after that he will let you go.

And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed.

Every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who dwells in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters, and you shall plunder the Egyptians."

Exodus 4

Then Moses said to the Lord, "Oh, my Lord, I am not a man of words, neither heretofore nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."

And the Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?

Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak."

But he said, "Oh, my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever You will send."

Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak well. And behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do.

He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be to him as God.

And you shall take this staff in your hand, with which you shall perform the signs."

Then Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt and see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought your life are dead."

So Moses took his wife and his sons and put them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.