Exodus 3 · Parashat Shemot

Now Moshe kept the flock of Yitro his father in law, the priest of Midyan: and he led the flock far away into the desert, and came to the mountain of God, to Ḥorev.

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, but the bush was not consumed.

And Moshe said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

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

And he said, Do not come near: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place on which thou dost stand is holy ground.

Moreover, he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Avraham, the God of Yiżĥaq, and the God of Ya῾aqov. And Moshe hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Miżrayim, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of Miżrayim, and to bring them up out of that land to a good land and a large, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Kena῾ani, and the Ḥitti, and the Emori, and the Perizzi, and the Ḥivvi, and the Yevusi.

Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Yisra᾽el is come to me: and I have also seen the oppression with which Miżrayim oppresses them.

Come now therefore, and I will send thee to Par῾o, that thou mayst bring my people the children of Yisra᾽el out of Miżrayim.

And Moshe said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Par῾o, and that I should bring the children of Yisra᾽el out of Miżrayim?

And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token to thee, that I have sent thee. When thou hast brought the people out of Miżrayim, you shall serve God upon this mountain.

And Moshe said to God, Behold, when I come to the children of Yisra᾽el, and shall say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say to them?

And God said to Moshe, Eheye Asher Eheye (I will ever be what I now am): and he said, Thus shalt thou say to the children of Yisra᾽el, Eheye (I Am) has sent me to you.

And God said moreover to Moshe, Thus shalt thou say to the children of Yisra᾽el, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Avraham the God of Yiżĥaq, and the God of Ya῾aqov, has sent me to you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial to all generations.

Go, and gather the elders of Yisra᾽el together, and say to them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, of Yiżĥaq, and of Ya῾aqov, has appeared to me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Miżrayim:

and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Miżrayim to the land of the Kena῾ani, and the Ḥitti, and the Emori, and the Perizzi, and the Ḥivvi, and the Yevusi, to a land flowing with milk and honey.

And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Yisra᾽el, to the king of Miżrayim, and you shall say to him, The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us: and now let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.

And I know that the king of Miżrayim will not let you go, if not by a mighty hand.

And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Miżrayim with all my wonders which I will do in their midst: and after that he will let you go.

And I will give this people favour in the sight of Miżrayim: and it shall come to pass, that, when you go, you shall not go empty:

but every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that sojourns in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and garments: and you shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters; and you shall despoil Miżrayim.