Exodus 3

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Moses was looking after the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led it to the far sideof the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.	1 Now Moses was pasturing the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro, a priest of Midian. And when he had driven the flock into the interior of the desert, he came to the mountain of God, Horeb.
2 The angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame blazing from the middle of a bush. Moses looked;there was the bush blazing, but the bush was not being burnt up.	2 And the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. And he saw that the bush was burning and was not burnt.
3 Moses said, 'I must go across and see this strange sight, and why the bush is not being burnt up.'	3 Therefore, Moses said, “I will go and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”
4 When Yahweh saw him going across to look, God cal ed to him from the middle of the bush. 'Moses,Moses!' he said. 'Here I am,' he answered.	4 Then the Lord, discerning that he proceeded on to see it, called to him from the midst of the bush, and he said, “Moses, Moses.” And he responded, “Here I am.”
5 'Come no nearer,' he said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.	5 And he said: “Lest you should approach here, remove the shoes from your feet. For the place on which you stand is holy ground.”
6 I am the God of your ancestors,' he said, 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.'At this Moses covered his face, for he was afraid to look at God.	6 And he 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 dared not look directly at God.
7 Yahweh then said, 'I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying forhelp on account of their taskmasters. Yes, I am well aware of their sufferings.	7 And the Lord said to him: “I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their outcry because of the harshness of those who are over the works.
8 And I have come down to rescue them from the clutches of the Egyptians and bring them up out of thatcountry, to a country rich and broad, to a country flowing with milk and honey, to the home of the Canaanites, theHittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.	8 And knowing their sorrow, I have descended in order to free them from the hands of the Egyptians, and to lead them from that land into a good and spacious land, into a land which flows with milk and honey, to the places of the Canaanite, and Hittite, and Amorite, and Perizzite, and Hivite, and Jebusite.
9 Yes indeed, the Israelites' cry for help has reached me, and I have also seen the cruel way in which theEgyptians are oppressing them.	9 And so, the outcry of the sons of Israel has come to me. And I have seen their affliction, with which they are oppressed by the Egyptians.
10 So now I am sending you to Pharaoh, for you to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.'	10 But come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may lead my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”
11 Moses said to God, 'Who am I to go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?'	11 And Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should lead the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”
12 'I shal be with you,' God said, 'and this is the sign by which you wil know that I was the one who sentyou. After you have led the people out of Egypt, you wil worship God on this mountain.'	12 And he said to him: “I will be with you. And you will have this as a sign that I have sent you: When you will have brought my people out of Egypt, you will offer sacrifice to God upon this mountain.”
13 Moses then said to God, 'Look, if I go to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your ancestorshas sent me to you," and they say to me, "What is his name?" what am I to tell them?'	13 Moses said to God: “Behold, I will go to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ If they say to me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I say to them?”
14 God said to Moses, 'I am he who is.' And he said, 'This is what you are to say to the Israelites, "I amhas sent me to you." '	14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO AM.” He said: “Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel: ‘HE WHO IS has sent me to you.’ ”
15 God further said to Moses, 'You are to tel the Israelites, "Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, the Godof Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you." This is my name for al time, and thusI am to be invoked for al generations to come.	15 And God said again to Moses: “Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is the name for me in eternity, and this is my memorial from generation to generation.
16 'Go, gather the elders of Israel together and tel them, "Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, hasappeared to me -- the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob -- and has indeed visited you and seen what isbeing done to you in Egypt,	16 Go and gather together the elders of Israel, and you shall say to them: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: When visiting, I have visited you, and I have seen all that has befallen you in Egypt.
17 and has said: I shall bring you out of the misery of Egypt to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites,the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a country flowing with milk and honey."	17 And I have spoken in order to lead you out of the affliction of Egypt, into the land of the Canaanite, and Hittite, and Amorite, and Perizzite, and Hivite, and Jebusite, into a land flowing with milk and honey.’
18 They wil listen to your words, and you and the elders of Israel are to go to the king of Egypt and say tohim, "Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has encountered us. So now please al ow us to make a three-days'journey into the desert and sacrifice to Yahweh our God."	18 And they shall hear your voice. And you shall enter, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall say to him: ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has called us. We shall go three days’ journey into the wilderness, in order to offer sacrifice to the Lord our God.’
19 I am well aware that the king of Egypt wil not let you go unless he is compel ed by a mighty hand;	19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not release you, unless you go out by a powerful hand.
20 he wil not let you go until I have stretched out my arm and struck Egypt with al the wonders I intend towork there.	20 For I will extend my hand, and I will strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do in the midst of them. After these things, he will release you.
21 'I shal ensure that the Egyptians are so much impressed with this people that when you go, you willnot go empty-handed.	21 And I will grant favor to this people in the sight of the Egyptians. And so, when you go forth, you shall not go out empty.
22 Every woman wil ask her neighbour and the woman staying in her house for silver and goldenjewel ery, and clothing. In these you wil dress your own sons and daughters, despoiling the Egyptians of them.'	22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and of her hostess vessels of silver and of gold, as well as garments. And you shall set them upon your sons and daughters, and you shall despoil Egypt.”