< Exodus 33 >

1 Then the Lord told Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you led out of Egypt, and go to the land I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, telling them, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵךְ עֲלֵה מִזֶּה אַתָּה וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר הֶֽעֱלִיתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹב לֵאמֹר לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתְּנֶֽנָּה׃
2 I will send an angel out in front of you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
וְשָׁלַחְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ מַלְאָךְ וְגֵֽרַשְׁתִּי אֶת־הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי הָֽאֱמֹרִי וְהַֽחִתִּי וְהַפְּרִזִּי הַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃
3 Enter a land flowing with milk and honey, but I will not accompany you because you are a rebellious people. Otherwise I would destroy you on the way.”
אֶל־אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ כִּי לֹא אֶֽעֱלֶה בְּקִרְבְּךָ כִּי עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹרֶף אַתָּה פֶּן־אֲכֶלְךָ בַּדָּֽרֶךְ׃
4 When the people heard these words of criticism, they mourned and didn't put on their jewelry.
וַיִּשְׁמַע הָעָם אֶת־הַדָּבָר הָרָע הַזֶּה וַיִּתְאַבָּלוּ וְלֹא־שָׁתוּ אִישׁ עֶדְיוֹ עָלָֽיו׃
5 For the Lord had previously told Moses, “Tell the people of Israel, ‘You are a rebellious people. If I was with you for just a moment, I would wipe you out. Now remove your jewelry, and I'll decide what to do with you.’”
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אֱמֹר אֶל־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתֶּם עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹרֶף רֶגַע אֶחָד אֶֽעֱלֶה בְקִרְבְּךָ וְכִלִּיתִיךָ וְעַתָּה הוֹרֵד עֶדְיְךָ מֵֽעָלֶיךָ וְאֵדְעָה מָה אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לָּֽךְ׃
6 So the Israelites took off their jewelry from the time they left Mount Sinai.
וַיִּֽתְנַצְּלוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־עֶדְיָם מֵהַר חוֹרֵֽב׃
7 Moses used to set up the Tent of Meeting some way outside the camp. Anyone who wanted to ask the Lord anything could go out there to the Tent of Meeting.
וּמֹשֶׁה יִקַּח אֶת־הָאֹהֶל וְנָֽטָה־לוֹ ׀ מִחוּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶה הַרְחֵק מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶה וְקָרָא לוֹ אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְהָיָה כׇּל־מְבַקֵּשׁ יְהֹוָה יֵצֵא אֶל־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד אֲשֶׁר מִחוּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃
8 Whenever Moses went out to the Tent, all the people would go and stand at the entrance of their tents. They would watch him until he had gone inside.
וְהָיָה כְּצֵאת מֹשֶׁה אֶל־הָאֹהֶל יָקוּמוּ כׇּל־הָעָם וְנִצְּבוּ אִישׁ פֶּתַח אׇהֳלוֹ וְהִבִּיטוּ אַחֲרֵי מֹשֶׁה עַד־בֹּאוֹ הָאֹֽהֱלָה׃
9 As soon as Moses went into the Tent, the cloud column would descend and stand in the doorway as the Lord spoke with Moses.
וְהָיָה כְּבֹא מֹשֶׁה הָאֹהֱלָה יֵרֵד עַמּוּד הֶֽעָנָן וְעָמַד פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וְדִבֶּר עִם־מֹשֶֽׁה׃
10 When the people saw the cloud column standing in the doorway to the Tent, everyone would stand up and bow in worship at the entrance of their tents.
וְרָאָה כׇל־הָעָם אֶת־עַמּוּד הֶֽעָנָן עֹמֵד פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וְקָם כׇּל־הָעָם וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ אִישׁ פֶּתַח אׇהֳלֽוֹ׃
11 Moses would speak to the Lord face to face as you would talk to a friend, and then returned to the camp. However, his young assistant Joshua, son of Nun, stayed in the Tent.
וְדִבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה פָּנִים אֶל־פָּנִים כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ וְשָׁב אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶה וּמְשָׁרְתוֹ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן נַעַר לֹא יָמִישׁ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֹֽהֶל׃
12 Moses said to the Lord, “Look, you've been telling me, ‘Go and lead these people,’ but you haven't let me know who you're going to send with me. And yet you have stated, ‘I know you personally, and I'm happy with you.’
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־יְהֹוָה רְאֵה אַתָּה אֹמֵר אֵלַי הַעַל אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאַתָּה לֹא הֽוֹדַעְתַּנִי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־תִּשְׁלַח עִמִּי וְאַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ יְדַעְתִּיךָֽ בְשֵׁם וְגַם־מָצָאתָ חֵן בְּעֵינָֽי׃
13 Now if it's true that you're happy with me, please teach me your ways so I can get to know you, and go on pleasing you. Remember that the people of this nation are yours.”
וְעַתָּה אִם־נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ הוֹדִעֵנִי נָא אֶת־דְּרָכֶךָ וְאֵדָעֲךָ לְמַעַן אֶמְצָא־חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה כִּי עַמְּךָ הַגּוֹי הַזֶּֽה׃
14 The Lord replied, “I myself will go with you, and I will support you.”
וַיֹּאמַר פָּנַי יֵלֵכוּ וַהֲנִחֹתִי לָֽךְ׃
15 “If you don't go with us yourself, then please don't take us away from here,” Moses responded.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אִם־אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הֹלְכִים אַֽל־תַּעֲלֵנוּ מִזֶּֽה׃
16 “How will others know that you are happy with me, and with your people, if you don't accompany us? How would anyone tell us apart—me and your people—from every other people who live on the earth?”
וּבַמֶּה ׀ יִוָּדַע אֵפוֹא כִּֽי־מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲנִי וְעַמֶּךָ הֲלוֹא בְּלֶכְתְּךָ עִמָּנוּ וְנִפְלִינוּ אֲנִי וְעַמְּךָ מִכׇּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָֽה׃
17 The Lord told Moses, “I promise do what you've asked, because I'm happy with you and I know you personally.”
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה גַּם אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ אֶֽעֱשֶׂה כִּֽי־מָצָאתָ חֵן בְּעֵינַי וָאֵדָעֲךָ בְּשֵֽׁם׃
18 “Now please reveal to me your glory,” Moses asked.
וַיֹּאמַר הַרְאֵנִי נָא אֶת־כְּבֹדֶֽךָ׃
19 “I will make all the goodness of my character pass in front of you, I will call out the name ‘Yahweh,’ I will show grace to those I want to show grace, and I will show mercy to those I want to show mercy.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲנִי אַעֲבִיר כׇּל־טוּבִי עַל־פָּנֶיךָ וְקָרָאתִֽי בְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה לְפָנֶיךָ וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת־אֲשֶׁר אָחֹן וְרִחַמְתִּי אֶת־אֲשֶׁר אֲרַחֵֽם׃
20 But you won't be able to see my face, because no one can see my face and live.”
וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא תוּכַל לִרְאֹת אֶת־פָּנָי כִּי לֹֽא־יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָֽי׃
21 “Come here and stand by me on this rock,” the Lord went on,
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה הִנֵּה מָקוֹם אִתִּי וְנִצַּבְתָּ עַל־הַצּֽוּר׃
22 “and as my glory goes by I'll put you in a crevice of the rock, and I'll cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
וְהָיָה בַּעֲבֹר כְּבֹדִי וְשַׂמְתִּיךָ בְּנִקְרַת הַצּוּר וְשַׂכֹּתִי כַפִּי עָלֶיךָ עַד־עׇבְרִֽי׃
23 Then I'll take my hand away and you'll see my back; but you won't see my face.”
וַהֲסִרֹתִי אֶת־כַּפִּי וְרָאִיתָ אֶת־אֲחֹרָי וּפָנַי לֹא יֵרָאֽוּ׃

< Exodus 33 >