God Speaks to Moses

¹One day, Moses was taking care of the sheep and goats of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and Moses decided to lead them across the desert to Sinai, the holy mountain.[#3.1 The Hebrew text has “Horeb,” another name for Sinai.]

²There an angel of the Lord appeared to him from a burning bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire, but it was not burning up.[#Ac 7.30-34.]

³“This is strange!” he said to himself. “I'll go over and see why the bush isn't burning up.”

⁴When the Lord saw Moses coming near, he called him by name from the bush, and Moses answered, “Here I am.”

⁵God replied, “Don't come any closer. Take off your sandals—the ground where you are standing is holy.

⁶I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Moses was afraid to look at God, and so he hid his face.

⁷The Lord said:

¹¹But Moses said, “Who am I to go to the king and lead your people out of Egypt?”

¹²God replied, “I will be with you. And you will know that I am the one who sent you, when you worship me on this mountain after you have led my people out of Egypt.”[#3.12 Or “I will be with you. This bush is a sign that I am the one sending you, and it is a promise that you will worship me on this mountain after you have led my people out of Egypt.”]

¹³Moses answered, “I will tell the people of Israel that the God their ancestors worshiped has sent me to them. But what should I say, if they ask me your name?”[#Ex 6.2,3.]

^14-15God said to Moses:[#Rev 1.4,8.]