1 ARST Moses, on the other hand, was taking care of the sheep that belonged to Jethro(his father- in- law who was a priest to the Midianite people.) One day, he took the flock to the far side of the wildland. He came to a mountain where God{ would reveal himself to Moses and later to the Israelites} called Horeb. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 ARST While he was there, Yahweh’ s messenger appeared to Moses as a fire inside a bush. Moses stared at the burning bush, amazed that the fire was not burning it completely to ashes. BSB BSB: There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed.
3 ARST He thought,“I will go closer to see this strange thing! Why is the bush not burning up?” BSB BSB: So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?”
4 ARST When Yahweh saw Moses coming for a closer look, he called out from the bush,“Moses, Moses!”“Yes!” Moses replied. BSB BSB: When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.
5 ARST Yahweh said,“Take off your sandals{ to honor me} before you come any closer, because you are standing on ground that is sacred{ because it is near me.} BSB BSB: “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
6 ARST I am God, the one that your father, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all worshiped.” Moses was afraid{ that God would kill him if he} looked at him, so he covered his face. BSB BSB: Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
7 ARST Then Yahweh said,“I have watched closely how badly the Egyptians are treating my people in Egypt. I have heard my people shouting despairingly because of what the slave drivers are making them do. I am most certainly informed about how my people are suffering. BSB BSB: The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
8 ARST I am coming down from heaven to rescue them from being slaves to the Egyptians. I will lead them from Egypt to a fertile land with plenty of room. It will be very good for raising livestock and growing crops. The peoples called the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites live there now. BSB BSB: I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 9 ARST Truly, I have now heard the Israelites crying. I have also seen how badly the Egyptians treat them. BSB BSB: And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen how severely the Egyptians are oppressing them.
10 ARST So now I will send you to do this: Go to the king of Egypt and lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” BSB BSB: Therefore, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
11 ARST But Moses said to God,“I am not important enough to go to the king in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.” BSB BSB: But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
12 ARST God said,“Even so, you can trust that I will be with you. When you bring my people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me right here on this mountain. That will prove to you that I am the one who sent you to them.” BSB BSB: “I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”
13 ARST Moses said to God,“If I go to the Israelites and say to them,‘The God whom your ancestors worshiped has sent me to you,’ they will ask me,‘What is his name?’ Then what should I say to them?” BSB BSB: Then Moses asked God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What should I tell them?”
15 ARST God also said to Moses,“You must say this to the Israelites,‘Yahweh has sent me to you. He is the God Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and your other ancestors worshiped. Yahweh is my eternal name, and this is the name by which people living at any time must remember me.’ BSB BSB: God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘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 how I am to be remembered in every generation.
16 ARST Go call a meeting with all the Israelite leaders. Tell them,‘Yahweh appeared to me. He is the God Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and your other ancestors worshiped. He said:“I have come down to carefully watch{ and do something about} what the Egyptians are doing to you. BSB BSB: Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me and said: I have surely attended to you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.
17 ARST I promise that I will rescue you from the Egyptians who treat you badly. I will take you to the land where the peoples called the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites live now. The land is excellent for raising livestock and growing crops.”’ BSB BSB: And I have promised to bring you up out of your affliction in Egypt, into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’
18 ARST The leaders will do what you say. Then you and the leaders will go to the king of Egypt, and you will say to him,‘Yahweh, the God whom we Hebrews worship, has made a special visit to us. Please allow us to travel for a few days to a place in the wilderness in order that there we may offer sacrifices to Yahweh, the God we worship.’ BSB BSB: The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’
19 ARST But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go; not even by force. BSB BSB: But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him.
20 ARST So I will act very powerfully, and I will hurt the Egyptians with very bad things that only I can do. Then he will chase you away. BSB BSB: So I will stretch out My hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders I will perform among them. And after that, he will release you.
21 ARST When this happens, I will cause the Egyptians to be willing to help you Hebrews so that, when you leave Egypt, you will not go out like poor slaves. BSB BSB: And I will grant this people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you leave, you will not go away empty-handed.
22 ARST At that time, each Hebrew woman will ask the women living or visiting nearby for things made from silver and gold and for clothing. You will be able to have your children wear the things they give you. That is how you will take everything from the Egyptians.” BSB BSB: Every woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.”