1One day Moses was taking care of the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock across the desert to Sinai, the holy mountain. 2There the angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire coming from the middle of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire but that it was not burning up. 3»This is strange,« he thought. »Why is the bush not burning up? I will go closer and see.« 4Jehovah saw that Moses came closer. He called to him from the middle of the bush: »Moses! Moses!« Moses answered: »Yes, here I am.« 5God said: »Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground. 6»I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.« Moses covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God. 7Jehovah said: »I have seen how my people are suffering as slaves in Egypt. I have heard them beg for my help because of the way they are being mistreated. I feel sorry for them. 8»I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians. I will bring my people out of Egypt into a country where there is good land, rich with milk and honey. I will give them the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. 9»My people have begged for my help. I have seen how cruel the Egyptians are to them. 10»Now go to Pharaoh! I am sending you to lead my people out of his country.« 11But Moses said: »Who am I to go to Pharaoh and lead your people out of Egypt?« 12God said: »I will be with you! 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 worship God at this mountain.« 13Then Moses said to God: »Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel. I will say to them: ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may ask me: ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?’« 14God then said to Moses: »I exist and I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE.« You shall say to the sons of Israel: »I WILL BE, has sent me to you.’« Hebrew: hayah, »I was, I am, I will be« gives evidence of God’s eternal existence 15God, further said to Moses: »You shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘JEHOVAH, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ JEHOVAH THIS IS MY NAME FOREVER! This is my memorial-name to all generations. 16Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them: JEHOVAH, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me. He said: »I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt.« 17»So I said: ‘I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.« ’ 18»They will listen to what you say. You with the elders of Israel will approach the king of Egypt. You will say to him: ‘Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a three days journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God.’ 19»I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. 20»So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do in it’s midst. After that he will let you go. 21»I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. When you go you will not go empty handed. 22»But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing. You will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.«