3 One time Mosheh (Moses) was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Yetro (or Jethro, the priest at Midian), and he led the flock beyond the wilderness and came to a hill. (This was later known as the mountain of God at Horev). 2 While he was there. Yahweh’s messenger appeared to him in a flame coming from the middle of a bush, and as Mosheh looked, to his surprise he saw that the bush was burning in the fire yet not actually being burnt up.[ref] 3 “I’ve got to go and see this amazing sight,” Mosheh said to himself. “How come the bush isn’t burning up?”

4 When Yahweh saw that he’d left his path in order to look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Mosheh, Mosheh.”

“I’m here,” he replied.

5 “Don’t come any closer,” Yahweh said. “Take off your sandals because the place where you’re standing is HOLY ground. 6 I’m the God of your father and the God of Abraham, Yitshak, and Yacob.” So Mosheh covered hid his face because he was scared to look at God.

7 “I’ve certainly noticed the suffering of my people in Egypt,” Yahweh continued, “I’ve heard their cries as the slave drivers oppress them—I’m unmistakingly aware of their pain. 8 So I’ve come down to set them free from Egyptian control and to bring them up from there to a good and wide land—a land flowing with milk and honey. It’s currently the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Yebusites. 9 Yes, the cry of the Israelis has now reached me and what’s more, I’ve seen how much the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So go now and I’ll send you to Far’oh (Pharaoh) and bring my people—Yisra’el’s descendants—out from Egypt.”

11 “Who am I, that I should go to Far’oh,” Mosheh asked God, “and that I should be the one to bring out the Israelis out from Egypt?”

12 “I’ll certainly be with you,” God replied, “and this will be your sign so that you’ll know that I have sent you: when you bring the people out from Egypt, you all will serve God on this very hill.”

13 “But listen,” Mosheh told God, “If I’m about to go to the Israelis and if I told them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you.’ then they’d ask me, ‘Oh yeah, what’s his name?’ then what would I tell them?”[ref]

14 “I AM WHO I AM,” God told Mosheh. “You’ll tell them this: ‘I AM sent me to you.’ ”[ref] 15 Then he continued, “This is what you need to tell the Israelis: ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Yitshak, and Yacob, sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial from generation to generation.’ 16 Go and gather the Israeli elders, and tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, appeared to me, the God of Abraham, Yitshak, and Yacob, to say, “I’ve certainly noticed you all and how you’re all being treated in Egypt, 17 and I’ve promised to take you all from your mistreatment in Egypt, away to the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and the Yebusites are currently living—to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’

18 Then the people will listen to what you tell them, and you and the Israeli elders will go to the Egyptian king and you’ll all tell him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, so we can sacrifice to Yahweh, our God.’ 19 But I know that the Egyptian king won’t let you go until he’s forced to. 20 So I will use force and I’ll strike Egypt with several supernatural acts, and after those, he’ll let you all go.

21 Then I’ll make the Egyptian people favour you all in such a way that when you go, you won’t leave empty-handed.[ref] 22 For example, an Israeli woman will ask her Egyptian neighbour (or from someone staying where she lives) for gold and silver items and for clothing. Then you’ll put them on your sons and daughters, and in this way you’ll all plunder the Egyptians.”