The Lord appeared... That is, an angel representing G.o.d, and speaking in his name.
3:3. And Moses said: I will go, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
3:4. And when the Lord saw that he went forward to see, he called to him out of the midst of the bush and said: Moses, Moses. And he answered: Here I am.
3:5. And he said: Come not nigh hither, put off the shoes from thy feet; for the place, whereon thou standest, is holy ground.
3:6. And he said: I am the G.o.d of thy father, the G.o.d of Abraham, the G.o.d of Isaac, and the G.o.d of Jacob. Moses hid his face: for he durst not look at G.o.d.
3:7. And the Lord said to him: I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of the rigour of them that are over the works;
3:8. And knowing their sorrow, I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land into a good and s.p.a.cious land, into a land that floweth with milk and honey, to the places of the Chanaanite, and Hethite, and Amorrhite, and Pherezite, and Hevite, and Jebusite.
3:9. For the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have seen their affliction, wherewith they are oppressed by the Egyptians.
3:10. But come, and I will send thee to Pharao, that thou mayst bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.
3:11. And Moses said to G.o.d: Who am I that I should go to Pharao, and should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
3:12. And he said to him: I will be with thee; and this thou shalt have for a sign that I have sent thee: When thou shalt have brought my people out of Egypt, thou shalt offer sacrifice to G.o.d upon this mountain.
3:13. Moses said to G.o.d: Lo, I shall go to the children of Israel, and say to them: The G.o.d of your fathers hath sent me to you. If they shall say to me: What is his name? What shall I say to them?
3:14. G.o.d said to Moses: I AM WHO AM. He said: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: HE WHO IS, hath sent me to you.
I am who am... That is, I am being itself, eternal, self-existent, independent, infinite; without beginning, end, or change; and the source of all other beings.
3:15. And G.o.d said again to Moses: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: The Lord G.o.d of your fathers the G.o.d of Abraham, the G.o.d of Isaac, and the G.o.d of Jacob hath sent me to you; this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
3:16. Go and gather together the ancients of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: The Lord G.o.d of your fathers, the G.o.d of Abraham, the G.o.d of Isaac, and the G.o.d of Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying: Visiting I have visited you; and I have seen all that hath befallen you in Egypt.
3:17. And I have said the word to bring you forth out of the affliction of Egypt, into the land of the Chanaanite, and Hethite, and Amorrhite, and Pherezite, and Hevite, and Jebusite, to a land that floweth with milk and honey.
3:18: And they shall hear thy voice; and thou shalt go in, thou and the ancients of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and thou shalt say to him: The Lord G.o.d of the Hebrews hath called us; we will go three days" journey into the wilderness, to sacrifice unto the Lord our G.o.d.
3:19. But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, but by a mighty hand.
3:20. For I will stretch forth my hand, and will strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst of them: after these he will let you go.
3:21. And I will give favour to this people, in the sight of the Egyptians: and when you go forth, you shall not depart empty:
3:22. But every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that is in her house, vessels of silver and of gold, and raiment: and you shall put them on your sons and daughters, and shall spoil Egypt.
Shall spoil, etc... That is, you shall strip, and take away the goods of the Egyptians. This was not authorizing theft or injustice; but was a just disposal made by Him, who is the great lord and master of all things, in order to pay the children of Israel some part of what was due to them from the Egyptians for their labours.
Exodus Chapter 4
Moses is empowered to confirm his mission with miracles: his brother Aaron is appointed to a.s.sist him.
4:1. Moses answered, and said: They will not believe me, nor hear my voice, but they will say: The Lord hath not appeared to thee.
4:2. Then he said to him: What is that thou holdest in thy hand? He answered: A rod.
4:3. And the Lord said: Cast it down upon the ground. He cast it down, and it was turned into a serpent, so that Moses fled from it.
4:4. And the Lord said: Put out thy hand, and take it by the tail. He put forth his hand, and took hold of it, and it was turned into a rod.
4:5. That they may believe, saith he, that the Lord G.o.d of their fathers, the G.o.d of Abraham, the G.o.d of Isaac, and the G.o.d of Jacob, hath appeared to thee.
4:6. And the Lord said again: Put thy hand into thy bosom. And when he had put it into his bosom, he brought it forth leprous as snow.
4:7. And he said: Put back thy hand into thy bosom. He put it back, and brought it out again, and it was like the other flesh.
4:8. If they will not believe thee, saith he, nor hear the voice of the former sign, they will believe the word of the latter sign.
4:9. But if they will not even believe these two signs, nor hear thy voice: take of the river water, and pour it out upon the dry land, and whatsoever thou drawest out of the river, shall be turned into blood.
4:10. Moses said: I beseech thee, Lord, I am not eloquent from yesterday and the day before; and since thou hast spoken to thy servant, I have more impediment and slowness of tongue.
4:11. The Lord said to him: Who made man"s mouth? or who made the dumb and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? did not I?
4:12. Go therefore, and I will be in thy mouth; and I will teach thee what thou shalt speak.
4:13. But he said: I beseech thee, Lord, send whom thou wilt send.
4:14. The Lord being angry at Moses, said: Aaron the Levite is thy brother, I know that he is eloquent: behold he cometh forth to meet thee, and seeing thee, shall be glad at heart.
4:15. Speak to him, and put my words in his mouth: and I will be in thy mouth, and in his month, and will shew you what you must do.
4:16. He shall speak in thy stead to the people, and shall be thy mouth: but thou shalt be to him in those things that pertain to G.o.d.
4:17. And take this rod in thy hand wherewith thou shalt do the signs.
4:18: Moses went his way, and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said to him; I will go and return to my brethren into Egypt, that I may see if they be yet alive. And Jethro said to him: Go in peace.
4:19. And the Lord said to Moses, in Madian: Go, and return into Egypt; for they are all dead that sought thy life.
4:20. Moses therefore took his wife, and his sons, and set them upon an a.s.s; and returned into Egypt, carrying the rod of G.o.d in his hand.
4:21. And the Lord said to him as he was returning into Egypt: See that thou do all the wonders before Pharao, which I have put in thy hand: I shall harden his heart, and he will not let the people go.
I shall harden, etc... Not by being the efficient cause of his sin; but by withdrawing from him, for his just punishment, the dew of grace that might have softened his heart; and so suffering him to grow harder and harder.
4:22. And thou shalt say to him: Thus saith the Lord: Israel is my son, my firstborn.
4:23. I have said to thee: Let my son go, that he may serve me, and thou wouldst not let him go: behold I will kill thy son, thy firstborn.
4:24. And when he was in his journey, in the inn, the Lord met him, and would have killed him.