Moses and the burning bush
1Moses looked after the sheep and goats of his father-in-law, Jethro. His father-in-law was the priest of Midian. One day Moses took the sheep and goats deep into the desert. He came to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 2There he saw a fire burning in a bush. The Angel_of_the_Lord was in the fire and He appeared to Moses. Moses saw that the bush did not stop burning. 3Moses said to himself: ‘I have never seen anything like this before. I want to go and see why the bush keeps on burning.’
4When the Lord saw Moses coming to the bush, He called him from inside the bush and said: ‘Moses, Moses.’ And Moses said: ‘Here I am.’ 5The Lord said: ‘Do not come closer. Take off your sandals because the place that you are standing on is holy ground. 6I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God_of_Jacob.’ Moses covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.
7Then the Lord said: ‘I have seen how my people suffer in Egypt. I have heard them crying, asking Me to save them from the Egyptians who make them work so hard. I know they suffer and I feel sorry for them. 8I want to save them from the Egyptians. I want to bring them out of this land and take them to a good and great land, a land where there is a lot of food, milk and honey. It is the land where the Canaanites are living now with the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. 9I have heard the Israelites pray, and they have asked Me to help them. I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 10I want you to go to Pharaoh and to take my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’
11Moses said to God: ‘I am not an important man. I can not go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt.’ 12God answered: ‘I will be with you. I will give you a sign that will prove to you that I have sent you. When you bring the people out of Egypt, you will worship Me on this mountain.’
13Then Moses said to God: ‘If I go to the Israelites and I tell them: “The God of your forefathers has sent me to you,” they will ask me: “What is his name?” What must I tell them?’ 14Then God said to Moses: ‘My name is: “I Am Who I Am”. You must tell the Israelites: “I Am” has sent me to you.’
15God also said to Moses: ‘You must tell the Israelites: “The Lord has sent me to you. He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God_of_Jacob.” My name will always be the Lord. They and the people who are born later must always use this name for Me. 16Go and call the leaders_of_Israel together and tell them the Lord, the God of their forefathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, appeared to you, and said: “I have looked and I have seen what the Egyptians are doing to you. 17I have decided to take you out of Egypt where you suffer so much. I will take you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. It is a land that has a lot of food, milk and honey.”
18The leaders_of_Israel will listen to you. Then you and the leaders must go to the king of Egypt and tell him: “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has talked to us. Let us go into the desert, for as far as we can walk in 3 days. We want to sacrifice_offerings to the Lord our God.” 19I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go. He will not do it even if I punish him. 20Then I will punish him more and harder. I will do miracles that will make it difficult for the Egyptians. Then the king will let you go. 21I will make the Egyptians friendly towards you, and they will give you many gifts when you go. 22Every Israelite woman must ask her Egyptian neighbour or the people who live with her for silver, gold and clothes. You must give them to your sons and daughters to carry. This is how you must take them away from the Egyptians.’
