Exodus 33
33
The LORD: “I can’t go”
1The LORD said to Moses, “Go and leave this place, you and the people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt. Go to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I’ll give it to your descendants.’ 2I’ll send a messenger before you. I’ll drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3Go to this land full of milk and honey. But I won’t go up with you because I would end up destroying you along the way since you are a stubborn people.”
4When the people heard the bad news, they were sorry. No one put on any jewelry, 5because the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stubborn people. If I were to go up with you even for a single moment, I would destroy you. So now take off your jewelry, while I figure out what to do with you.’” 6So after leaving Mount Horeb the Israelites rid themselves of their jewelry.
Speaking with the LORD at the meeting tent
7Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, far away from the camp. He called it the meeting tent. Everyone who wanted advice from the LORD would go out to the meeting tent outside the camp. 8Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand at the entrance to their tents and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9When Moses entered the tent, the column of cloud would come down and stand at the tent’s entrance while the LORD talked with Moses. 10When all the people saw the column of cloud standing at the tent’s entrance, they would all rise and then bow down at the entrances to their tents. 11In this way the LORD used to speak to Moses face-to-face, like two people talking to each other. Then Moses would come back to the camp. But his young assistant Joshua, Nun’s son, wouldn’t leave the tent.
Moses pleads with God
12Moses said to the LORD, “Look, you’ve been telling me, ‘Lead these people forward.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. Yet you’ve assured me, ‘I know you by name and think highly of you.’ 13Now if you do think highly of me, show me your ways so that I may know you and so that you may really approve of me. Remember too that this nation is your people.”
14The LORD replied, “I’ll go myself, and I’ll help you.”
15Moses replied, “If you won’t go yourself, don’t make us leave here. 16Because how will anyone know that we have your special approval, both I and your people, unless you go with us? Only that distinguishes us, me and your people, from every other people on the earth.”
17The LORD said to Moses, “I’ll do exactly what you’ve asked because you have my special approval, and I know you by name.”
18Moses said, “Please show me your glorious presence.”
19The LORD said, “I’ll make all my goodness pass in front of you, and I’ll proclaim before you the name, ‘The LORD.’ I will be kind to whomever I wish to be kind, and I will have compassion to whomever I wish to be compassionate. 20But,” the LORD said, “you can’t see my face because no one can see me and live.” 21The LORD said, “Here is a place near me where you will stand beside the rock. 22As my glorious presence passes by, I’ll set you in a gap in the rock, and I’ll cover you with my hand until I’ve passed by. 23Then I’ll take away my hand, and you will see my back, but my face won’t be visible.”
Currently Selected:
Exodus 33: CEB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Exodus 33
33
1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place. You and the people you brought up out of Egypt must leave it. Go up to the land I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I said to them, ‘I will give it to your children after you.’ 2I will send an angel ahead of you. I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 3Go up to the land that has plenty of milk and honey. But I will not go with you. You are stubborn. I might destroy you on the way.”
4When the people heard these painful words, they began to mourn. No one put on any jewelry. 5The Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are stubborn. If I went with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your jewelry. Then I will decide what to do with you.’ ” 6So the people took off their jewelry at Mount Horeb.
The Tent of Meeting
7Moses used to take a tent and set it up far outside the camp. He called it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone who wanted to ask the Lord a question would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8When Moses would go out to the tent, everyone would get up and stand at the entrances to their tents. They would watch Moses until he entered the tent. 9As Moses would go into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down. It would stay at the entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10The people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent. Then all of them would stand and worship at the entrances to their tents. 11The Lord would speak to Moses face to face like one would speak to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp. But Joshua, his young helper, didn’t leave the tent. Joshua was the son of Nun.
Moses and the Glory of the Lord
12Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people.’ But you haven’t let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know your name. I know all about you. And I am pleased with you.’ 13If you are pleased with me, teach me more about yourself. Then I can know you. And I can continue to please you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
14The Lord replied, “I will go with you. And I will give you rest.”
15Then Moses said to him, “If you don’t go with us, don’t send us up from here. 16How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and your people? You must go with us. How else will we be different from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
17The Lord said to Moses, “I will do exactly what you have asked. I am pleased with you. And I know your name. I know all about you.”
18Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
19The Lord said, “I will make all my goodness pass in front of you. And I will announce my name, the Lord, in front of you. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. And I will show love to those I love. 20But you can’t see my face,” he said. “No one can see me and stay alive.”
21The Lord continued, “There is a place near me where you can stand on a rock. 22When my glory passes by, I will put you in an opening in the rock. I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will remove my hand. You will see my back. But my face must not be seen.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.