One day as he led his flock out in search of food he came to Mount Ho-reb, and there he saw a flame of fire stream out of a bush, and the bush was not burnt in the least.
As he drew near the bush the Lord spoke to him out of the flame, and Mo-ses hid his face, for he dared not look on God.
The Lord said, The cry of the chil-dren of Is-ra-el has come up to me, and I have seen how ill they have been used. And I will send thee to Pha-ra-oh that thou mayst bring them forth out of the land of E-gypt.
But Mo-ses was loth to go.
MO-SES BROUGHT BE-FORE PHA-RA-OH'S DAUGH-TER.
And the Lord said, What is that in thine hand? And Mo-ses said, A rod, And the Lord said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it was changed to a snake, and Mo-ses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Mo-ses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And Mo-ses did so, and it was a rod in his hand. And the Lord said, Put now thy hand in on thy breast. And he put it in, and when he drew it out it was white, and like a dead hand. And he put his hand in once more, and drew it out, and it was like the rest of his flesh.
Then Mo-ses said, O, my Lord, I am not fit to do this work, for I am slow of speech, and a man of few words.
And the Lord said to him, I will be with thee, and teach thee what thou wilt say.
Still Mo-ses was loth to go, and the Lord was wroth with him, and said, Take Aa-ron with thee. He can speak well. And thou shalt tell him what to say and do, and I will teach you, and with this rod in thy hand thou shalt do great things, as if thou wert God.