God Speaks to Moses
1 One 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. 2 There 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. 3 “This is strange!” he said to himself. “I'll go over and see why the bush isn't burning up.”
4 When the Lord saw Moses coming near, he called him by name from the bush, and Moses answered, “Here I am.”
5 God replied, “Don't come any closer. Take off your sandals—the ground where you are standing is holy. 6 I 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.
7 The Lord said:
I have seen how my people are suffering as slaves in Egypt, and I have heard them beg for my help because of the way they are being mistreated. I feel sorry for them, 8 and I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians.
I will bring my people out of Egypt into a country where there is a lot of good land, rich with milk and honey. I will give them the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. 9 My people have begged for my help, and I have seen how cruel the Egyptians are to them. 10 Now go to the king! I am sending you to lead my people out of his country.
11 But Moses said, “Who am I to go to the king and lead your people out of Egypt?”
12 God 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.”
13 Moses 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?”
14-15 God said to Moses:
I am the eternal God. So tell them that the Lord, whose name is “I Am,” has sent you. This is my name forever, and it is the name that people must use from now on.
16 Call together the leaders of Israel and tell them that the God who was worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has appeared to you. Tell them I have seen how terribly they are being treated in Egypt, 17 and I promise to lead them out of their troubles. I will give them a land rich with milk and honey, where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.
18 The leaders of Israel will listen to you. Then you must take them to the king of Egypt and say, “The Lord God of the Hebrews has appeared to us. Let us walk three days into the desert, where we can offer a sacrifice to him.” 19 But I know that the king of Egypt won't let you go unless something forces him to. 20 So I will use my mighty power to perform all kinds of miracles and strike down the Egyptians. Then the king will send you away.
21 After I punish the Egyptians, they will be so afraid of you that they will give you anything you want. You are my people, and I will let you take many things with you when you leave the land of Egypt. 22 Every Israelite woman will go to her Egyptian neighbors or to any Egyptian woman living with them and ask them for gold and silver jewelry and for their finest clothes. The Egyptians will give them to you, and you will put these fine things on your sons and daughters. Carry all this away when you leave Egypt.
Degošais ērkšķu krūms
(2Moz 6:2–7:72Moz 11:1–42Moz 12:35–36)1 Mozus ganīja sava sievastēva, Midjāna priestera Jetrus, avis. Viņš dzina avis pāri tuksnesim un nonāca pie Dieva kalna Horeba. 2 Un uguns liesmā viņam parādījās Kunga eņģelis no ērkšķu krūma, viņš raudzījās, un redzi – ērkšķu krūms dega ugunī, bet nesadega! 3 Un Mozus teica: “Pieiešu jel apskatīt šo lielo parādību – kāpēc ērkšķu krūms nesadeg?” 4 Un Kungs ieraudzīja, ka viņš nāk klāt, lai redzētu, un Dievs sauca viņam no ērkšķu krūma vidus: “Mozu! Mozu!” Un tas teica: “Es te!” 5 Tad viņš teica: “Netuvojies! Noauj sandales no savām kājām, jo vieta, kur tu stāvi, ir svēta zeme!” 6 Viņš teica: “Es esmu tava tēva Dievs – Ābrahāma Dievs, Īzaka Dievs un Jēkaba Dievs!” Un Mozus paslēpa savu seju, jo baidījās palūkoties uz Dievu. 7 Un Kungs teica: “Redzēt es redzēju manas tautas apspiestību Ēģiptē, un es dzirdēju viņus brēcam par vagariem – jo es zinu viņu ciešanas. 8 Es esmu nācis izglābt viņus no ēģiptiešiem un aizvest viņus no tās zemes uz labu un plašu zemi, uz zemi, kur plūst piens un medus, uz kanaāniešu un hetiešu, un amoriešu, un periziešu, un hiviešu, un jebūsiešu vietām! 9 Un tagad, redzi, pie manis ir nonākusi Israēla dēlu brēkšana, un es esmu redzējis arī spaidus, ar ko ēģiptieši tos apspiež. 10 Un tagad – ej, es tevi sūtīšu pie faraona, un tu izvedīsi manu tautu, Israēla dēlus, no Ēģiptes!” 11 Bet Mozus teica Dievam: “Kas es tāds esmu, ka man jāiet pie faraona un jāizved Israēla dēli no Ēģiptes?!” 12 Un viņš teica: “Es taču būšu ar tevi, un šī tev ir zīme, ka es tevi esmu sūtījis – kad tu izvedīsi tautu no Ēģiptes, jūs kalposiet Dievam šajā kalnā!”
Dievs atklāj savu vārdu
13 Bet Mozus teica Dievam: “Redzi, es atnākšu pie Israēla dēliem un teikšu tiem: pie jums mani ir sūtījis jūsu tēvu Dievs! – Bet viņi man jautās: kāds ir viņa vārds? – Ko lai es tiem saku?” 14 Un Dievs teica Mozum: “ES ESMU, KAS ES ESMU!” Viņš teica: “Tā saki Israēla dēliem: ESOŠAIS mani pie jums ir sūtījis!”
15 Un vēl Dievs Mozum teica: “Tā saki Israēla dēliem: Kungs, jūsu tēvu Dievs, Ābrahāma Dievs, Īzaka Dievs un Jēkaba Dievs, mani ir sūtījis pie jums! – Tas ir mans vārds uz mūžiem, un tā mani ir jāpiesauc paaudžu paaudzēs! 16 Ej, sapulcini Israēla vecajos un saki tiem: man parādījās Kungs, jūsu tēvu Dievs, Ābrahāma, Īzaka un Jēkaba Dievs, sacīdams: es vērstin esmu pievērsies jums un tam, kas jums tiek darīts Ēģiptē! 17 Un es saku: no Ēģiptes spaidiem es jūs aizvedīšu uz kanaāniešu, hetiešu, amoriešu, periziešu, hiviešu un jebūsiešu zemi, uz zemi, kur plūst piens un medus! 18 Viņi tevi klausīs! Tu un Israēla vecajie iesiet pie Ēģiptes ķēniņa un teiksiet viņam: Kungs, ebreju Dievs, ir bijis mums klāt. Un tagad – laid mūs iet trīs dienu ceļu tuksnesī un upurēt Kungam, mūsu Dievam! 19 Un es zinu, ka Ēģiptes ķēniņš neļaus jums iet un aizturēs ar varu. 20 Tad es sākšu sist Ēģipti ar visiem saviem brīnumiem, ko es darīšu, – pēc tiem viņš jūs atlaidīs. 21 Es dāvāšu tautai ēģiptiešu vēlību, un, kad jūs iesiet, jūs neaiziesiet tukšā! 22 Tad ik sieva lai prasa savai kaimiņienei un tai, kas dzīvo līdzās tās namā, sudraba traukus, zelta traukus un drānas – tos lai nes jūsu dēli un meitas, un jūs aplaupīsiet Ēģipti!”
