1Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro, his relative, the priest of Midian. He led the flock toward the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb.2The messenger of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of the bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.3Moses said, "Let me turn aside, please, and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn."4The LORD saw that he had turned aside to look, and God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses." He said, "Here I am."5He said, "Do not come near here. Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."6He said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.7The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their oppressors, for I know their pain."8I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.9Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.10Now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and bring my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.11Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"12He said, "I will be with you, and this will be the sign for you that I have sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain."13Moses said to God, "Behold, I am coming to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they will say to me, 'What is his name?' What shall I say to them?"14God said to Moses, "I am who I am." He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I am has sent me to you.'"15God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, '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 my memorial to generation and generation."16Go and gather the elders of Israel, and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, has appeared to me, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, "I have surely taken notice of you and of what has been done to you in Egypt."'17I said, "I will bring you up from the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey."18They will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt, and you will say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; now let us go, please, a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.'19I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, not even by a strong hand.20I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all my wonders that I will do in their midst; after that he will let you go.21I will give this people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and when you go, you will not go empty-handed.22A woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman sojourning in her house for articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing, and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters; thus you will plunder the Egyptians.