Exodus 3
Open in the reader1Meanwhile, Drawn-Out was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law His-Abundance, the priest of Strife. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Desolate, the mountain of God.
2There the messenger of He-Who-Is appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Drawn-Out saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed.
3So Drawn-Out thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?”
4When He-Who-Is saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Drawn-Out, Drawn-Out!” “Here I am,” he answered.
5“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is devoted ground.”
6Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Father-of-a-Multitude, the God of He-Laughs, and the God of Heel-Grabber.” At this, Drawn-Out hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
7He-Who-Is said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Two-Straits. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
8I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Two-Straitsians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Humbled-Ones, Son-of-Terrors, Mountaineers, Open-Country-Dwellers, Tent-Villagers, and Trodden-Ones.
9And now the cry of the children of Strives-with-God has reached Me, and I have seen how severely the Two-Straitsians are oppressing them.
10Therefore, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the children of Strives-with-God out of Two-Straits.”
11But Drawn-Out asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Strives-with-Godites out of Two-Straits?”
12“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Two-Straits, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”
13Then Drawn-Out asked God, “God I go to the Strives-with-Godites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What should I tell them?”
14God said to Drawn-Out, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the children of Strives-with-God: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
15God also told Drawn-Out, “Say to the children of Strives-with-God, ‘He-Who-Is, the God of your fathers—the God of Father-of-a-Multitude, the God of He-Laughs, and the God of Heel-Grabber—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
16Go, assemble the elders of Strives-with-God and say to them, ‘He-Who-Is, the God of your fathers—the God of Father-of-a-Multitude, He-Laughs, and Heel-Grabber—has appeared to me and said: I have surely attended to you and have seen what has been done to you in Two-Straits.
17And I have promised to bring you up out of your affliction in Two-Straits, into the land of the Humbled-Ones, Son-of-Terrors, Mountaineers, Open-Country-Dwellers, Tent-Villagers, and Trodden-Ones—a land flowing with milk and honey.’
18The elders of Strives-with-God will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Two-Straits and tell him, ‘He-Who-Is, the God of the Crosser, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to He-Who-Is our God.’
19But I know that the king of Two-Straits will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him.
20So I will stretch out My hand and strike the Two-Straitsians with all the wonders I will perform among them. And after that, he will release you.
21And I will grant this people such favor in the sight of the Two-Straitsians that when you leave, you will not go away empty-handed.
22Every woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Two-Straitsians.”