ne day Moses led his sheep out into the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God. There Moses saw a bush that was burning with flame, but the bush was not hurt by the fire. Moses went to look at this sight, to see why the bush was not burnt.

...the bush burned with fire...

Then God called to Moses from out of the middle of the bush, and said, “Moses--do not come any closer. Take off your shoes, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Then God said, “I have seen how my people are oppressed in Egypt; I have heard their cries, and I know their sorrows. I have come down to free them from the Egyptians, and to bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. I will send you to the Pharaoh, and you will bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.

But Moses said to God, “When I go to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you’, they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I say to them?” And God said, “You will tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has sent me.’ That is my name.”

Then Moses said, “But they will not believe me--they will say, ‘God didn’t appear to you’.” And God said to him, “Take this staff, and throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and Moses ran away from it. Then God said to Moses, “Take it by the tail.” And Moses caught the snake, and it became a staff again.

Then Moses said, “But I am a poor speaker, slow of speech.” And God said to him, “Didn’t I, God, make your mouth? I will tell you what to say.”

But Moses said to God, “Please, send someone else instead.” At this God became angry with Moses, and he said, “Your brother Aaron can speak well. He will be your spokesman.”

So Moses went and took his wife and his sons, and went back toward Egypt. But when Moses stopped for the night, God met him, and tried to kill him. Then Moses’ wife took a sharp stone, and cut off her son’s foreskin, and threw it at his feet. So God let Moses go.