Moses, in the meanwhile, had married the daughter of Jethro, priest of Madian, and was doing shepherd’s work for him. Deep into the desert he led his flock, till he reached God’s own mountain of Horeb.

And here the Lord revealed himself through a flame that rose up from the midst of a bush; it seemed that the bush was alight, yet did not burn.

Here is a great sight, said Moses, I must go up and see more of it, a bush that does not waste by burning.

But now, as he saw him coming up to look closer, the Lord called to him from the midst of the bush, Moses Moses; and when he answered, I am here, at thy command,

he was told, Do not come nearer; rather take the shoes from thy feet, thou art standing on holy ground.

Then he said, I am the God thy father worshipped, the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. And Moses hid his face; he dared not look on the open sight of God.

I have not been blind, the Lord told him, to the oppression which my people endures in Egypt, I have listened to their complaints about the cruelty of the men who are in charge of their work.

I know what their sufferings are, and I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians; to take them away into a fruitful land and large, a land that is all milk and honey, where the Chanaanites dwell, and the Hethites, and the Amorrhites, and the Pherezites, and the Hevites, and the Jebusites.

Yes, the cry of Israel’s race has reached my ears, I have watched how their Egyptian oppressors ill-treat them.

Up, I have an errand for thee at Pharao’s court; thou art to lead my people, the sons of Israel, away out of Egypt.

At this, Moses said to God, Ah, who am I, that thou shouldst send me to Pharao? Who am I that I should lead the sons of Israel out of Egypt?

I will be with thee, God said to him. And here is a sign for thee, that thy mission comes from me; when thou hast brought my people out of Egypt, thou wilt find thyself offering sacrifice to God on this mountain.

But Moses still pleaded with God: How if I appear before the Israelites with the message that the God of their fathers has sent me to them, and they ask me, What is his name? What answer shall I make?

And God said to Moses, I am the God who IS; thou shalt tell the Israelites, THE GOD WHO IS has sent me to you.✻

And he charged Moses again, That is what thou shalt tell the sons of Israel, that he who bears this name, the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has sent thee to them, and this is the name he will be known by for ever; it shall stand recorded, age after age.

Go then, and summon the elders of Israel to meet thee. Tell them that the Lord, the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has appeared to thee, with this message: Day after day I have watched, and seen all that has befallen you in Egypt.

And now I mean to take you away from Egypt, where it goes so hard with you, into the land of the Chanaanites, the Hethites, the Amorrhites, the Pherezites, the Hevites, and the Jebusites; a land that is all milk and honey.

The elders of Israel will give thee a good hearing; and with them thou shalt make thy way into the king of Egypt’s presence. The Lord God of the Hebrews, thou shalt tell him, has summoned us to go out three days’ march into the desert, and there we must offer sacrifice to the Lord our God.

I know well enough that the king of Egypt will not let you go, except under strong compulsion;

I must needs exert my power, and smite the Egyptians with all the portents I mean to do among them, before he will give you leave.

And I will let you have your way with the Egyptians; when you go you shall not go empty-handed.

Each woman shall claim from her neighbour, or from some woman that lodges with her, gold and silver trinkets, and clothes to dress your sons and daughters in; such toll you shall take of the Egyptians.