Exodus 33

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, "Depart, go up from here, you and the people that you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.'

And the Lord said to Moses, Go forward from this place, you and the people whom you have taken up out of the land of Egypt, to that land about which I made an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, To your seed will I give it.

2 I will send an angel before you; and I will drive out the Canaanite, and the Amorite, and the Hethite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite:

And I will send an angel before you, driving out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite:

3 to a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you in the way."

Go up to that land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, for fear that I send destruction on you while you are on the way.

4 When the people heard this evil news, they mourned: and no one put on his jewelry.

Hearing this bad news the people were full of grief, and no one put on his ornaments.

5 The LORD said to Moses, "Tell the children of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go up into your midst for one moment, I would consume you. Therefore now take off your jewelry from you, that I may know what to do to you.'"

And the Lord said to Moses, Say to the children of Israel, You are a stiff-necked people: if I come among you, even for a minute, I will send destruction on you; so take off all your ornaments, so that I may see what to do with you.

6 The children of Israel stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.

So the children of Israel took off their ornaments at Mount Horeb, and did not put them on again.

7 Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp, and he called it "The Tent of Meeting." It happened that everyone who sought the LORD went out to the Tent of Meeting, which was outside the camp.

Now it was Moses' way to put up the Tent of meeting outside the tent-circle, at some distance away; giving it the name of The Tent of meeting. And everyone desiring to make his prayer to the Lord went to the Tent of meeting outside the tent-circle.

8 It happened that when Moses went out to the Tent, that all the people rose up, and stood, everyone at their tent door, and watched Moses, until he had gone into the Tent.

And whenever Moses went out to the Tent of meeting, all the people got up and everyone went to the door of his tent, looking after Moses till he went inside the Tent.

9 It happened, when Moses entered into the Tent, that the pillar of cloud descended, stood at the door of the Tent, and spoke with Moses.

And whenever Moses went into the Tent, the pillar of cloud came down, and took its place by the door of the Tent, as long as the Lord was talking with Moses.

10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the door of the Tent, and all the people rose up and worshiped, everyone at their tent door.

And all the people saw the cloud at the door of the Tent, and they went down on their faces, everyone at the door of his tent.

11 The LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. He turned again into the camp, but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart out of the Tent.

And the Lord had talk with Moses face to face, as a man may have talk with his friend. And when Moses came back to the tents, his servant, the young man Joshua, the son of Nun, did not come away from the Tent.

12 Moses said to the LORD, "Look, you tell me, 'Bring up this people:' and you haven't let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.'

And Moses said to the Lord, See, you say to me, Be this people's guide on their journey, but you have not made clear to me whom you will send with me. But you have said, I have knowledge of you by name, and you have grace in my eyes.

13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your sight: and consider that this nation is your people."

If then I have grace in your eyes, let me see your ways, so that I may have knowledge of you and be certain of your grace; and my prayer is that you will keep in mind that this nation is your people.

14 He said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

And he said, I myself will go with you and give you rest.

15 He said to him, "If your presence doesn't go with me, do not carry us up from here.

And Moses said, If you yourself are not going with us, do not send us on from here.

16 For how would people know that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Isn't it in that you go with us, so that we are separated, I and your people, from all the people who are on the surface of the earth?"

For is not the fact of your going with us the sign that I and this people have grace in your eyes, so that we, that is, I and your people, are separate from all other people on the face of the earth?

17 The LORD said to Moses, "I will do this thing also that you have spoken; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name."

And the Lord said to Moses, I will do as you say: for you have grace in my eyes, and I have knowledge of you by your name.

18 He said, "Please show me your glory."

And Moses said, O Lord, let me see your glory.

19 He said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."

And he said, I will make all the light of my being come before you, and will make clear to you what I am; I will be kind to those to whom I will be kind, and have mercy on those on whom I will have mercy.

20 He said, "You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live."

But it is not possible for you to see my face, for no man may see me and still go on living.

21 The LORD also said, "Look, there is a place by me, and you are to station yourself on the rock.

And the Lord said, See, there is a place near me, and you may take your place on the rock:

22 It will happen, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand until I have passed by;

And when my glory goes by, I will put you in a hole in the rock, covering you with my hand till I have gone past:

23 then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen."

Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back: but my face is not to be seen.