Exodus 3 - Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Moses and the Burning Bush

3 Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,[a] the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb,[b] the mountain of God.(A) 2 Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush.(B) As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. 3 So Moses thought: I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

5 “Do not come closer,” He said. “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”(C) 6 Then He continued, “I am the God of your father,[c] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”(D) Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of My people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out(E) because of their oppressors, and I know about their sufferings. 8 I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey(F)—the territory of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.(G) 9 The Israelites’ cry for help has come to Me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing(H) them. 10 Therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead My people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I(I) that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you,(J) and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship[d] God at this mountain.”

13 Then Moses asked God, “If 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?”

14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.[e](K) This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, 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;(L) this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.

16 “Go and assemble the elders of Israel and say to them: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said: I have paid close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt.(M) 17 And I have promised you that I will bring you up from the misery of Egypt(N) to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey. 18 They will listen to what you say. Then you, along with the elders of Israel, must go to the king of Egypt and say to him: Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God.(O)

19 “However, I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, unless he is forced by a strong hand.(P) 20 I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles that I will perform in it. After that, he will let you go.(Q) 21 And I will give these people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.(R) 22 Each woman will 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.”(S)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 3:1 Moses’ father-in-law’s first name was Jethro; Ex 2:18.
  2. Exodus 3:1 = Desolation; another name for Mount Sinai; Dt 4:10,15; 18:16; Mal 4:4
  3. Exodus 3:6 Sam, some LXX mss read fathers; Ac 7:32
  4. Exodus 3:12 Or serve
  5. Exodus 3:14 Or I AM BECAUSE I AM, or I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE

Cross references

  1. 3:1 : Ex 2:18; 18:5; 1Kg 19:8
  2. 3:2 : Dt 33:16; Ac 7:30
  3. 3:5 : Jos 5:15; Ac 7:33
  4. 3:6 : Gn 28:13; Mt 22:32; Mk 12:26; Lk 20:37; Ac 7:32
  5. 3:7 : Ex 2:23-25; Neh 9:9; Ps 106:44
  6. 3:8 : Gn 50:24; Ex 6:6
  7. 3:8 : Gn 15:18-21; Ex 3:17; 13:5; Dt 1:25; Jr 11:5; Ezk 20:6
  8. 3:9 : Ex 1:14; 2:23
  9. 3:11 : Ex 6:12; 1Sm 18:18
  10. 3:12 : Gn 31:3; Jos 1:5; Rm 8:31
  11. 3:14 : Ex 6:3; Ps 68:4; Jn 8:58; Heb 13:8; Rv 1:4; 4:8
  12. 3:15 : Ps 102:12; 135:13; Hs 12:5
  13. 3:16 : Ex 4:29; Lk 1:68
  14. 3:17 : Gn 15:16; Jos 24:11
  15. 3:18 : Ex 4:31; 5:1; Nm 23:3-4, 15-16
  16. 3:19 : Ex 5:2; 6:1
  17. 3:20 : Ex 6:6; 9:15; 12:31; Dt 6:22; Neh 9:10
  18. 3:21 : Ex 11:3; 12:36
  19. 3:22 : Gn 15:14; Ex 11:2; Ezk 39:10

You Might Also Like:

Exodus 3 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

3 And Moses hath been feeding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, priest of Midian, and he leadeth the flock behind the wilderness, and cometh in unto the mount of God, to Horeb; 2 and there appeareth unto him a messenger of Jehovah in a flame of fire, out of the midst of the bush, and he seeth, ...
Read More

Exodus 3 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

3 Forsooth Moses kept the sheep of Jethro, his wife’s father, priest of Midian; and when he had driven the flock to the inner parts of the desert, he came to Horeb, the hill of God. (And Moses kept the sheep of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and when he had driven the flock to the ...
Read More

Exodus 3 - World English Bible (WEB)

3 Now 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. 2 Yahweh’s[a] angel appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned ...
Read More

Exodus 3 - The Voice (VOICE)

3 Now one day when Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, he guided the flock far away from its usual pastures to the other side of the desert and came to a place known as Horeb, where the mountain of God stood. 2 There, the Special Messenger of the Eter...
Read More

Exodus 3 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Angel of Adonai in a Burning Bush3 Now Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. So he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness, coming to the mountain of God, Horeb. [a] 2 Then the angel of Adonai appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush....
Read More

Exodus 3 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Moses at the Burning Bush3 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Mid′ian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush;...
Read More

Exodus 3 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Moses at the Burning Bush3 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Mid′ian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush;...
Read More

Exodus 3 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Moses at the Burning Bush3 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazi...
Read More

Exodus 3 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Moses at the Burning Bush3 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazi...
Read More

Exodus 3 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Moses at the Burning Bush3 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness and came to Mount Horeb,[a] the mountain of God.(A)2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush ...
Read More

Exodus 3 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Moses and the Burning Bush3 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro,[a] the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai,[b] the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses ...
Read More

Exodus 3 - New Life Version (NLV)

Moses and the Burning Bush3 Now Moses was taking care of the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the religious leader of Midian. He led the flock to the west side of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the Angel of the Lord showed Himself to Moses in a burning fire from insid...
Read More

Exodus 3 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Moses at the Burning Bush(A)3 Now Moses was tending the flock of (B)Jethro his father-in-law, (C)the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to (D)Horeb, (E)the mountain of God. 2 And (F)the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a ...
Read More

Exodus 3 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Moses and the burning bush3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw...
Read More

Exodus 3 - New International Version (NIV)

Moses and the Burning Bush3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro(A) his father-in-law, the priest of Midian,(B) and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb,(C) the mountain(D) of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord(E) appeared to him in flames of fire(F) from within ...
Read More

Exodus 3 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Moses and the Burning Bush3 Moses was taking care of the flock of his father-in-law Jethro. Jethro was the priest of Midian. Moses led the flock to the western side of the desert. He came to Horeb. It was the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him from inside a burning bush....
Read More

Exodus 3 - New English Translation (NET)

3 Now Moses[a] was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert[b] and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb.[c] 2 The angel of the Lord[d] appeared[e] to him in[f] a flame of fire from within a bush.[g] He looked,[h] an...
Read More