1Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God's mountain, to Horeb. 2The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and look, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3Moses said, "I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt." 4When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, "Moses. Moses." He said, "Here I am." 5He said, "Do not come close. Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place you are standing on is holy ground." 6Moreover he said, "I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and 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 have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanites, and the Hethites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9Now, look, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

10Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." 11And Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" 12And God spoke to Moses, saying, "Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."

13And Moses said to God, "Look, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you;' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What should I tell them?" 14And God said to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM," and he said, "You shall tell the children of Israel this: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" 15And God said moreover to Moses, "You shall tell the children of Israel this, '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 from generation to generation. 16Go, and gather the elders of the children of Israel together, and tell them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt; 17and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hethite, 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 shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, 'The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to our God.' 19I know that the king of Egypt won't give you permission to go, except by a mighty hand. 20I will put forth my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in its midst, and after that he will let you go. 21I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed. 22But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.