Exodus 33

1 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;

Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Leave this place and go with the people whom you led out of Egypt. Go to the land that I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that I would give to their descendants.

2 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;

I will send my angel ahead of you all, and I will expel [from that land] the Canaan, Amor, Heth, Periz, Hiv, and Jebus people-groups.

3 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.

You will go to a land that will be very good for raising livestock and growing crops [IDM]. But I will not go with you myself, because [if I did that], I might get rid of you while you are traveling, because you are very stubborn [IDM] people.”

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

Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Tell the Israeli people, ‘You are very stubborn [IDM]. If I would go with you for even a moment, I would completely (get rid of you/wipe you out). Now take off your jewelry [to show that you are sorry for having sinned]. Then I will decide how I will punish you (OR, if I should punish you).’” So when Moses/I told to the people what God said, they started to mourn, and they all took off their jewelry.

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

After the Israeli people left Sinai Mountain, they did not wear jewelry any more.

7 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.

[When the Israeli people traveled], whenever they stopped and set up their tents, Moses/I had them set up a tent outside the camp, far from the camp. I called it ‘the Sacred Tent where God and I talk together’. Everyone who wanted Yahweh to decide something for them would go out of the camp to the Sacred Tent.

8 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.

Whenever Moses/I went out to the Sacred Tent, all the people would stand at the entrances of their tents and watch him/me until he/I had entered the Sacred Tent.

9 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.

When Moses/I entered the Sacred Tent, the tall cloud that looked like a fire would come down and stay at the entrance of the Sacred Tent, and then Yahweh would talk with Moses/me.

10 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.

When the people saw the tall cloud at the entrance of the Sacred Tent, they would all prostrate themselves on the ground and worship Yahweh.

11 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.

Yahweh would speak to Moses/me directly, like someone speaks to his friend. Then Moses/I would return to the camp. But his/my young helper, Joshua, the son of Nun, stayed in the Sacred Tent.

12 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.

Moses/I said to Yahweh, “It is true that you have told me, ‘Lead the people to the land [that I will show you],’ and you have said that you know me well and that you are pleased with me, but you have not told me whom you will send with me!

13 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.

So now, if you are truly pleased with me, I ask you, tell me the things that you intend/plan to do, in order that I will know you [better] and continue to please you. Also, do not forget that the [Israeli] people are the people whom you chose to belong to you.”

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

Yahweh replied, “I will go with you, and I will give you inner peace.”

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

Moses/I replied, “If you do not go with me, do not force us to leave this place.

16 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.

The only way that [other] people will know that you are pleased with me and with your people is if you go with us [RHQ]! (If you go with us, [that will show that] we are different from all the other people on the earth./If you do not go with us, what will show that we are different from all the other people on the earth?)” [RHQ]

17 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.

Yahweh replied to Moses/me, “What you have asked is exactly what I will do, because I know you well and I am pleased with you.”

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

Then Moses/I said, “Please let me see your glorious presence!”

19 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.

Yahweh replied, “I will let you see how great and glorious I am, and I will tell you clearly that my name is Yahweh. I will act very kindly and be merciful to all those whom I choose.

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

But you are not allowed to see my face, because anyone who sees my face will (die/not continue to stay alive).

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

[But look]! Here is a place close to me where you can stand on a [large] rock.

22 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:

When my glorious presence comes past you, I will put you in a large crevice/opening in the rock, and I will cover your face with my hand until I have passed by.

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

Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back, but you will not see my face.”