< Exodus 33 >

1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt. Go to the land about which I made an oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.'
And the LORD said to Moses, Depart, and go up hence, you and the people which you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, To your seed will I give it:
2 I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
And I will send an angel before you; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
3 Go to that land, which is flowing with milk and honey, but I will not go up with you, because you are a stubborn people. I might destroy you on the way.”
To a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the middle of you; for you are a stiff necked people: lest I consume you in the way.
4 When the people heard these troubling words, they mourned, and no one put on any jewelry.
And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
5 Yahweh had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, 'You are a stubborn people. If I went among you for even one moment, I would destroy you. So now, take off your jewelry so that I may decide what to do with you.'”
For the LORD had said to Moses, Say to the children of Israel, You are a stiff necked people: I will come up into the middle of you in a moment, and consume you: therefore now put off your ornaments from you, that I may know what to do to you.
6 So the Israelites wore no jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.
And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.
7 Moses took a tent and pitched it outside the camp, some distance from the camp. He called it the tent of meeting. Everyone who asked Yahweh for anything went out to the tent of meeting, outside the camp.
And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out to the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
8 When Moses would go out to the tent, all the people would stand up at their tent entrances and look at Moses until he had gone inside.
And it came to pass, when Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
9 Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stand at the tent entrance, and Yahweh would speak with Moses.
And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
10 Whenever all the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the entrance to the tent, they would get up and worship, every man at his own tent entrance.
And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
11 Yahweh would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua son of Nun, a young man, would stay in the tent.
And the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
12 Moses said to Yahweh, “See, you have been saying to me, 'Take this people on their journey,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my eyes.'
And Moses said to the LORD, See, you say to me, Bring up this people: and you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, I know you by name, and you have also found grace in my sight.
13 Now if I have found favor in your eyes, show me your ways so that I may know you and continue to find favor in your eyes. Remember that this nation is your people.”
Now therefore, I pray you, if I have found grace in your sight, show me now your way, that I may know you, that I may find grace in your sight: and consider that this nation is your people.
14 Yahweh answered, “My own presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
And he said, My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.
15 Moses said to him, “If your presence does not go with us, do not take us up from here.
And he said to him, If your presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
16 For otherwise, how will it be known that I have found favor in your eyes, I and your people? Will it not only be if you go with us so that I and your people are different from all the other peoples that are on the surface of the earth?”
For wherein shall it be known here that I and your people have found grace in your sight? is it not in that you go with us? so shall we be separated, I and your people, from all the people that are on the face of the earth.
17 Yahweh said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have requested, for you have found favor in my eyes, and I know you by name.”
And the LORD said to Moses, I will do this thing also that you have spoken: for you have found grace in my sight, and I know you by name.
18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”
And he said, I beseech you, show me your glory.
19 Yahweh said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim my name 'Yahweh' before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”
And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
20 But Yahweh said, “You may not see my face, for no one can see me and live.”
And he said, You can not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
21 Yahweh said, “See, here is a place by me; you will stand on this rock.
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on a rock:
22 While my glory passes by, I will put you in a crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
And it shall come to pass, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand while I pass by:
23 Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen.”
And I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

< Exodus 33 >