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, Go forward, go up hence, you and your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, into the land which I swore to Abraam, and Isaac, and Jacob, saying, I will give it to your seed.

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 at the same time my angel before your face, and he shall cast out the Amorite and the Chettite, and the Pherezite and Gergesite, and Evite, and Jebusite, and Chananite.

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.”

And I will bring you into a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up with you, because you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you by the way.

4 When the people heard these troubling words, they mourned, and no one put on any jewelry.

And the people having heard this grievous saying, mourned in mourning apparel.

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 said to the children of Israel, You are a stiff-necked people; take heed lest I bring on you another plague, and destroy you: now then put off your glorious apparel, and [your] ornaments, and I will show you what I will do to you.

6 So the Israelites wore no jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.

So the sons of Israel took off their ornaments and their array at the mount of Choreb.

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 his tabernacle and pitched it without the camp, at a distance from the camp; and it was called the Tabernacle of Testimony: and it came to pass [that] every one that sought the Lord went forth to the tabernacle 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 whenever Moses went into the tabernacle without the camp, all the people stood every one watching by the doors of his tent; and when Moses departed, they took notice until he entered 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 when Moses entered into the tabernacle, the pillar of the cloud descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and [God] talked to 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 pillar of the cloud standing by the door of the tabernacle, and all the people stood and worshipped every one at the door of his tent.

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 if one should speak to his friend; and he retired into the camp: but his servant Joshua the son of Naue, a young man, departed not forth from 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, Behold! you say to me, Lead on this people; but you have not showed me whom you will send with me, but you have said to me, I know you above all, and you have favor with me.

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.”

If then I have found favor in your sight, reveal yourself to me, that I may evidently see you; that I may find favor in your sight, and that I may know that this great nation [is] your people.

14 Yahweh answered, “My own presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

And he says, I myself will go before you, and 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 says to him, If you go not up with us yourself, bring me 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?”

And how shall it be surely known, that both I and this people have found favor with you, except only if you go with us? So both I and your people shall be glorified beyond all the nations, as many as are upon 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 also do for you this thing, which you have spoken; for you have found grace before me, and I know you above all.

18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”

And [Moses] says, Manifest yourself to me.

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 [God] said, I will pass by before you with my glory, and I will call by my name, the Lord, before you; and I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and will have pity on whom I will have pity.

20 But Yahweh said, “You may not see my face, for no one can see me and live.”

And [God] said, You shall not be able to see my face; for no man shall see my face, 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: you shall stand upon the 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 when my glory shall pass by, then I will put you into a hole of the rock; and I will cover you over with my hand, until I shall have passed 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 remove my hand, and then shall you see my back parts; but my face shall not appear to you.