Exodus 33

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: God, get thee up from this place, thou and thy people which thou has brought out of the land of Egypt, into the land concerning which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: To thy seed I will give it.

Then spake Yahweh unto Moses—Get thee away, go up from hence, thou, and the people whom thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, —into the land of which I sware to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob, saying, To thy seed, will I give it;

2 And I will send an angel before thee, that I may cast out the Chanaanite, and the Amorrhite, and the Hethite, and the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite.

And I will send before thee a messenger, -and will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite;

3 That thou mayst enter into the land that floweth with milk and honey. For I will not go up with thee, because thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I destroy thee in the way.

into a land flowing with milk and honey, —for I will not go up in thy midst in that a stiff-necked people, thou art, lest I consume thee in the way.

4 And the people hearing these very bad tidings, mourned: and no man put on his ornaments according to custom.

And when the people heard these evil tidings, they afflicted themselves, —and they put not, any man, his ornaments upon him.

5 And the Lord said to Moses: Say to the children of Israel: Thou are a stiffnecked people; once I shall come up in the midst of thee, and shall destroy thee. Now presently lay aside thy ornaments, that I may know what to do with thee.

Then said Yahweh unto Moses—Say unto the sons of Israel, Ye, are a stiff-necked people, in one moment—if I should go up in thy midst, should I make an end of thee, —Now, therefore lay down thine ornaments from off thee, that I may see what I must do with thee.

6 So the children of Israel laid aside their ornaments by mount Horeb.

So then the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, [and moved on] from Mount Horeb.

7 Moses also taking the tabernacle, pitched it without the camp afar off, and called the name thereof, The tabernacle of the covenant. And all the people that had any question, went forth to the tabernacle of the covenant, without the camp.

And, Moses, proceeded to take a tent, and pitch it by itself outside the camp, afar off from the camp, and he called it, The Tent of Meeting, —and so it came to pass that whosoever was seeking Yahweh went out unto the tent of meeting, which was on the outside of the camp.

8 And when Moses went forth to the tabernacle, all the people rose up, and every one stood in the door of his pavilion, and they beheld the back of Moses, till he went into the tabernacle.

And it came about, that, when Moses went out unto the tent, all the people used to rise up, and station themselves every man at the opening of his tent, —and they watched Moses, until he entered the tent.

9 And when he was gone into the tabernacle of the covenant, the pillar of the cloud came down, and stood at the door, and he spoke with Moses.

And it came to pass that when Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud came down, and stood at the opening of the tent, —and spake with Moses.

10 And all saw that the pillar of the cloud stood at the door of the tabernacle. And they stood, and worshipped at the doors of their tents.

And when all the people beheld the pillar of cloud, standing at the opening of the tent, then all the people rose up and bowed themselves down, every man at the entrance of his tent.

11 And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man is wont to speak to his friend. And when he returned into the camp, his servant Josue the son of Nun, a young man, departed not from the tabernacle.

Thus Yahweh used to speak unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend, —and when he returned unto the camp, his attendant Joshua son of Nun, a young man, moved not from the midst of the tent.

12 And Moses said to the Lord; Thou commandest me to lead forth this people: and thou dost not let me know whom thou wilt send with me, especially whereas thou hast said: I know thee by name, and thou hast found favour in my sight.

Then said Moses, unto Yahweh, See! thou art saying unto me—Take up this people, and yet thou hast no let me know whom thou wilt send with me, —though thou thyself, didst say—I acknowledge thee by name, Yea, moreover, thou hast found favour in mine eyes.

13 If therefore I have found favour in thy sight, show me thy face, that I may know thee, and may find grace before thy eyes: look upon thy people this nation.

Now, therefore, if, I pray thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, let me know, I beseech thee, thy way, that I may acknowledge thee, to the intent I may find favour in thine eyes, —see thou, therefore, that this nation is thine own people.

14 And the Lord said: My face shall go before thee, and I will give thee rest.

So then he said, —Mine own presence, shall go on thus will I give thee rest.

15 And Moses said: If thou thyself dost not go before, bring us not out of this place.

And he said unto him, If thy presence is not going on, do not take us up from hence.

16 For how shall we be able to know, I and thy people, that we have found grace in thy sight, unless thou walk with us, that we may be glorified by all people that dwell upon the earth?

Whereby, indeed, shall it be known then that I have found favour in thine eyes, I, and thy people? Shall it not be, by thy going on with us? So shall we be more distinguished, I, and thy people, than any people that are on the face of the ground.

17 And the Lord said to Moses: This word also, which thou hast spoken, will I do: for thou hast found grace before me, and thee I have known by name.

Then said Yahweh unto Moses: Even this thing, which thou hast spoken, will I do—For thou hast found favour in mine eyes, And I have acknowledged thee by name.

18 And he said: Shew me thy glory.

And he said, —Show me, I pray thee, thy glory.

19 He answered: I will shew thee all good, and I will proclaim in the name of the Lord before thee: and I will have mercy on whom I will, and I will be merciful to whom it shall please me.

And he said, —I, will cause all my goodness to pass before thee. And will proclaim myself by the name Yahweh, before thee, And will show favour, unto whom I may show favour, And will have compassion on whom I may have compassion.

20 And again he said: Thou canst not see my face: for man shall not see me and live.

But he said—Thou canst not see my face, For no son of earth can see me, and live

21 And again he said: Behold there is a place with me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock.

And Yahweh, said, Lo! a place near me, —So then thou shalt station thyself upon the rock:

22 And when my glory shall pass, I will set thee in a hole of the rock, and protect thee with my right hand, till I pass:

And it shall be while my glory passeth by, I will put thee in the cleft of the rock, —and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

23 And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face thou canst not see.

Then will I take away my hand, and thou shalt see behind me, But, my face, must not be seen.