CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Exodus 3 NLT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/exodus/3.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/exodus/3-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NLT</a> > Exodus 3</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../exodus/2.htm" title="Exodus 2">◄</a> Exodus 3 <a href="../exodus/4.htm" title="Exodus 4">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New Living Translation</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/nlt/esv/exodus/3.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="hdg">Moses and the Burning Bush</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro,<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">a</span></a> the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai,<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">b</span></a> the mountain of God. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>“This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>When the LORD saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”</p><p class="reg">“Here I am!” Moses replied.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>“Do not come any closer,” the LORD warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>I am the God of your father<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">c</span></a>—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Then the LORD told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>God replied to Moses, “<span class="sc">I Am Who I Am</span>.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">d</span></a> Say this to the people of Israel: <span class="sc">I Am</span> has sent me to you.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh,<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">e</span></a> the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.</p><p class="b"/><p class="line1">This is my eternal name,</p><p class="line2">my name to remember for all generations.</p><p class="b"/><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>“Now go and call together all the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me. He told me, “I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.”’</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>“The elders of Israel will accept your message. Then you and the elders must go to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD, our God.’</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>“But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand forces him.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">f</span></a> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>So I will raise my hand and strike the Egyptians, performing all kinds of miracles among them. Then at last he will let you go. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>And I will cause the Egyptians to look favorably on you. They will give you gifts when you go so you will not leave empty-handed. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/exodus/3-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>Every Israelite woman will ask for articles of silver and gold and fine clothing from her Egyptian neighbors and from the foreign women in their houses. You will dress your sons and daughters with these, stripping the Egyptians of their wealth.”</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn">a</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:1a </span><span class="ft">Moses’ father-in-law went by two names, Jethro and Reuel.</span><br><span class="fn">b</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:1b </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">Horeb,</span><span class="ft"> another name for Sinai.</span><br><span class="fn">c</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:6 </span><span class="ft">Greek version reads </span><span class="it">your fathers.</span><br><span class="fn">d</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:14 </span><span class="ft">Or </span><span class="sc"><span class="it">I Will Be What I Will Be</span></span><span class="it">.</span><br><span class="fn">e</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:15 </span><span class="it">Yahweh</span><span class="ft"> (also in 3:16) is a transliteration of the proper name </span><span class="it">YHWH</span><span class="ft"> that is sometimes rendered “Jehovah”; in this translation it is usually rendered “the </span><span class="sc">Lord</span><span class="ft">” (note the use of small capitals).</span><br><span class="fn">f</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">3:19 </span><span class="ft">As in Greek and Latin versions; Hebrew reads </span><span class="it">will not let you go, not by a mighty hand.</span><br></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><em>Holy Bible</em>, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of <a href="http://www.tyndale.com">Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.</a>, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../exodus/2.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Exodus 2"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Exodus 2" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../exodus/4.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Exodus 4"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Exodus 4" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/exodus/3-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="../sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchap.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>