Exodus 33

1 And the LORD said to Moses, Depart [and] go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast conducted from the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore 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 an angel before thee; and I 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 To a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou [art] a stiff-necked people: 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 mourned: and no man put on him his ornaments.

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 For the LORD had said to Moses, Say to the children of Israel, Ye [are] a stiff-necked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do to thee.

6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, by the mount Horeb.

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

7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp far from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, [that] every one who sought the LORD, went out to the tabernacle of the congregation, which [was] without 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 to pass when Moses went out to the tabernacle, [that] all the people rose, and stood every man at his tent-door, and looked after Moses, until he had gone into the tabernacle.

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, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood [at] the door of the tabernacle, and [the LORD] talked 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 all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand [at] the tabernacle door: and all the people rose and worshiped, every man [in] his tent-door.

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 And the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaketh 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.

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 And Moses said to the LORD, See, thou sayest to me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.

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, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation [is] thy 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 And he said, My presence shall attend [thee], and I will give thee rest.

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

15 And he said to him, If thy presence shall not attend me, conduct us not hence.

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

16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? [Is it] not in that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that [are] upon the face of the earth.

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 And the LORD said to Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know 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, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.

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

19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

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 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man 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 the LORD said, Behold, [there is] a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

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

22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a 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 And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

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