Moses and the Burning Bush
1Moses was taking care of the flock of his father-in-law Jethro. Jethro was the priest of Midian. Moses led the flock to the western side of the desert. He came to Horeb. It was the mountain of God. 2There the angel of the Lord appeared to him from inside a burning bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire. But it didn’t burn up. 3So Moses thought, “I’ll go over and see this strange sight. Why doesn’t the bush burn up?”
4The Lord saw that Moses had gone over to look. So God spoke to him from inside the bush. He called out, “Moses! Moses!”
“Here I am,” Moses said.
5“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals. The place you are standing on is holy ground.” 6He continued, “I am the God of your father. I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard that, he turned his face away. He was afraid to look at God.
7The Lord said, “I have seen how my people are suffering in Egypt. I have heard them cry out because of their slave drivers. I am concerned about their suffering. 8So I have come down to save them from the Egyptians. I will bring them up out of that land. I will bring them into a good land. It has a lot of room. It is a land that has plenty of milk and honey. The Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites live there. 9And now Israel’s cry for help has reached me. I have seen how badly the Egyptians are treating them. 10So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh. I want you to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. They are my people.”
11But Moses spoke to God. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” he said. “Who am I that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
12God said, “I will be with you. I will give you a sign. It will prove that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me on this mountain.”
13Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the people of Israel. Suppose I say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ And suppose they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
14God said to Moses, “I am who I am. Here is what you must say to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
15God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord is the God of your fathers. He has sent me to you. He is the God of Abraham. He is the God of Isaac. And he is the God of Jacob.’ My name will always be The Lord. Call me this name for all time to come.
16“Go. Gather the elders of Israel together. Say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, appeared to me. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God said, “I have watched over you. I have seen what the Egyptians have done to you. 17I have promised to bring you up out of Egypt where you are suffering. I will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. It is a land that has plenty of milk and honey.” ’
18“The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders must go to the king of Egypt. You must say to him, ‘The Lord has met with us. He is the God of the Hebrews. Let us take a journey that lasts about three days. We want to go into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.’ 19But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you and your people go. Only a mighty hand could make him do that. 20So I will reach out my hand. I will strike the Egyptians with all the amazing things I will do. After that, their king will let you go.
21“I will cause the Egyptians to treat you in a kind way. Then when you leave, you will not go with your hands empty. 22Every woman should ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for things made out of silver and gold. Ask them for clothes too. Put them on your children. In that way, you will take the wealth of Egypt along with you.”
上帝呼召摩西
1摩西為岳父米甸祭司葉忒羅放羊。一天他領著羊群穿越曠野，來到上帝的山——何烈山。 2忽然有耶和華的天使在荊棘裡的火焰中向他顯現。摩西看見荊棘雖然在燃燒，卻沒有被燒毀。 3摩西想：「我要過去看這個奇異的景象，荊棘為什麼沒有被燒掉呢？」 4耶和華上帝見他要上前觀看，就從荊棘叢中呼喚他說：「摩西！摩西！」摩西說：「我在這裡。」 5上帝說：「別再靠近，脫下你腳上的鞋子，因為你所站的地方是聖地。」 6又說：「我是你祖先的上帝，是亞伯拉罕的上帝，以撒的上帝，雅各的上帝。」摩西害怕看上帝，就把臉蒙起來。 7耶和華說：「我已經看見我子民在埃及所受的苦難，聽見了他們因監工的壓迫而發出的呼求。我知道他們的痛苦。 8我下來是要從埃及人手中救他們，帶他們離開那裡，到一個遼闊肥沃的奶蜜之鄉，就是現在迦南人、赫人、亞摩利人、比利洗人、希未人和耶布斯人居住的地方。 9現在，以色列人的呼求傳到我耳中，我也看到了埃及人怎樣壓迫他們。 10現在去吧，我要派你到法老那裡，帶領我的以色列子民離開埃及。」 11但摩西對上帝說：「我是誰啊？怎麼能去見法老，把以色列人從埃及領出來呢？」 12上帝說：「我必與你同在，你帶百姓離開埃及後，你們必在這座山上事奉我——這將是我派你去的證據。」 13摩西問上帝：「假如我到以色列人那裡，對他們說，『你們祖先的上帝派我來你們這裡。』他們如果問我，『祂叫什麼名字？』我該怎樣回答他們呢？」 14上帝對摩西說：「我是自有永有者。你要這樣回答以色列人，『那位自有永有者派我到你們這裡。』」 15上帝又對摩西說：「你要告訴以色列人是我派遣你到他們那裡，我是他們祖先的上帝耶和華，是亞伯拉罕的上帝，以撒的上帝，雅各的上帝。耶和華是我的名字，直到永遠，世世代代的人都要這樣稱呼我。 16你去招聚以色列的長老，對他們說，『你們祖先的上帝耶和華，就是亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的上帝向我顯現，說祂關切你們，知道你們在埃及的遭遇。 17祂應許要帶領你們脫離在埃及所受的苦難，到迦南人、赫人、亞摩利人、比利洗人，希未人和耶布斯人住的地方，那裡是奶蜜之鄉。』 18以色列的長老們必定聽從你的話，你就跟他們一起去見埃及王，對他說，『希伯來人的上帝耶和華向我們顯現。現在請你容許我們走三天的路程，到曠野去，向我們的上帝耶和華獻祭。』 19我也知道除非我用大能的手向他施壓，不然埃及王不會讓你們離開。 20因此，我必伸手行各種神蹟攻擊埃及，之後他必讓你們離開。 21我必使埃及人恩待你們，好叫你們不致空手離開埃及。 22你們的婦女只管向埃及鄰居及住在鄰居家的婦女索取金器、銀器和衣服，給自己的兒女穿戴，你們必這樣奪取埃及人的財物。」
