Exodus · Chapter 3

[ edit] Moyſes forſoþe fedde þe ſheip of Jetro, hys wyues fader, preeſt of Madian; and whanne he had dreuen þe flok to þe ynnermore partis of deſerte, he cam to þe hil of God, Oreb. And þe Lord apperide to hym in a flawme of fier fro þe mydle of a buſſhe, and he ſawȝ þat þe buſſhe was ofier, and was not brent. Þanne ſeide Moyſes, Y ſhal go, and ſe þis greet ſiȝt, whi þe buſſhe is not brent. And þe Lord biholdynge þat he ȝede to ſeen, clepide hym fro þe mydle of þe buſſhe, and ſeiþ, Moyſes! Moyſes! Þe which anſwerde, Y am nyȝ. And he, Ne come þow, he ſeiþ, no nerre hidur, but lowſe þow þi ſhoyng fro þi feyt; þe place forſoþe þat þow ſtondiſt yn is an holi loond.

And he ſeiþ, Y am þe God of þi fader, God of Abraham, and God of Yſaac, and God of Jacob. Moiſes hidde his face, forſoþe he dorſt not loke aȝens God. To whom þe Lord ſeiþ, I haue ſeen þe affliccioun of my puple in Egipte, and Y haue herd þe crye of it, for þe hardnes of hem þat ben before to þe werkis. And knowynge þe ſorwe of it, Y deſcendide to delyuere it fro þe hoondis of Egipciens, and Y ſhal lede out fro þat loond into a good loond and a wide, into a loond þat flowiþ mylk and hony, to þe places of Chananey, and Eþey, Amorrei, and Phereȝei, Euehey, and Jebuſey.

Þanne þe crye of þe children of Yrael is comen to me, and Y haue ſeen þe affliccioun of hem, wiþ þe which þei ben oppreſſid of þe Egipcyens. But come, and Y ſhal ſende þee to Pharao, þat þow lede my puple, þe ſones of Yrael, out of Egipte. And Moyſes ſeide to God, Who am Y, þat I ſhulde goo to Pharao, and lede out þe ſones of Yrael fro Egipte? Þe which ſeide to hym, I ſhal be wiþ þee, and þis þow ſhalt haue to tookun, þat I haue ſent þee, whanne þow ſhalt lede my puple fro Egipte, þow ſhalt do ſacryfice to God vpon þis hil. Moyſes ſeiþ to God, Loo!

Y ſhal goo to þe ſones of Yrael, and Y ſhal ſeie to hem, þe God of ȝoure fadris haþ ſent me to ȝow; if þei ſeyn to me, what is his name, what ſhal Y ſeye to hem? Þe Lord ſeyde to Moyſes, I am þe which Y am; he ſeiþ, þus þow ſhalt ſeye to þe children of Iſrael, He þat is haþ ſent me to ȝow. And eftſones God ſeiþ to Moyſes, Þes þingis þow ſhalt ſeye to þe ſones of Yrael, Þe Lord God of ȝoure fadrys, God of Abraham, and God of Yſaac, and God of Jacob, haþ ſent me to ȝow; þis is name to me wiþouten ende, and þis my memoriale in generacioun and into generacioun.

Goo, and gedere togidere þe aldyr men of Yrael, and þow ſhalt ſeye to hem, Þe Lord God of ȝoure fadris haþ apeeryd to me, God of Abraham, and God of Yſaac, and God of Jacob, ſeiynge, Viſytynge Y haue viſitid ȝow, and Y haue ſeen alle þingis þat haue fallun to ȝow in Egipte; and Y ſeyde, þat Y ſhal lede ȝow out fro þe affliccioun of Egipte into þe loond of Chananei, and Eþei, and Amorrei, Phereȝey, and Euehi, and Jebuſey, to þe loond flowynge mylk and hony.

And þei ſhulen here þi voyce; and þow ſhalt goon yn, and þe alder men of Yrael to þe kyng of Egipte, and þow ſhalt ſeye to hym, Þe Lord God of Ebrews haþ clepid us; we ſhulen goon a weye of þre dayes into wildernes, þat we doon ſacrifice to þe Lord oure God. But Y wote, þat þe kyng of Egipte ſhal not ȝyue ȝow leue þat ȝe goon, but bi ſtrong hoond; forſoþe Y ſhal ſtrecche out myn hoond, and Y ſhal ſmyte Egipte in alle my merueyles, þat Y am to do in þe mydle of hem, and after þes þingis he ſhal ȝyue to ȝow leue.

And Y ſhal ȝeue grace to þis puple bifore þe Egipciens, þat whanne ȝe gon out, ȝe ſhulen not goon out voyd; but a womman ſhal aſke of hir neiȝbore and of hir geſt ſilueren and goldun veſſels, and cloþes, and ȝe ſhulen ligge hem vpon ȝoure ſones, and vpon ȝoure douȝtres, and ȝe ſhulen ſpoyle Egipte.