Exodus 33
33
I Will Not Go With You
1Then the Lord said to Moses, “You and the people you brought out of Egypt must leave this place. Go to the land that I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I promised them that I would give that land to their descendants. 2So I will send an angel to go before you, and I will defeat the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. I will force them to leave your land. 3So go to the land filled with many good things,#33:3 land … things Literally, “land flowing with milk and honey.” but I will not go with you. You people are very stubborn. If I go with you, I might destroy you along the way.”
4The people heard this bad news and became very sad, so they stopped wearing jewelry. 5This was because the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stubborn people. I might destroy you even if I travel with you only a short time. So take off all your jewelry while I decide#33:5 jewelry … decide This is a wordplay in Hebrew, but people often wore jewelry to remind them of their false gods. what to do with you.’” 6So the Israelites stopped wearing their jewelry at Mount Horeb.
The Temporary Meeting Tent
7Moses used to take a tent a short way outside the camp. He called it “the meeting tent.#33:7 meeting tent This is probably a tent that Moses used only until the real Meeting Tent was built.” Anyone who wanted to ask something from the Lord would go to the meeting tent outside the camp. 8Any time Moses went out to the tent, all the people watched him. They stood at the entrance of their tents and watched Moses until he entered the meeting tent. 9Whenever Moses went into the tent, the tall cloud would come down and stay at the entrance to the tent. And the Lord would speak with Moses. 10So when the people saw the cloud at the entrance of the tent, they would go to the entrance of their own tents and bow down to worship God.
11In this way the Lord spoke to Moses face to face like a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would go back to the camp, but his helper, Joshua son of Nun, always stayed in the tent.
Moses Sees the Glory of the Lord
12Moses said to the Lord, “You told me to lead these people, but you did not say who you would send with me. You said to me, ‘I know you very well, and I am pleased with you.’ 13If I have really pleased you, then teach me your ways. I want to know you. Then I can continue to please you. Remember that these people are your nation.”
14The Lord answered, “I myself will go with you. I will lead you.”#33:14 lead you Or “give you rest.”
15Then Moses said to him, “If you don’t go with us, then don’t make us leave this place. 16Also, how will we know if you are pleased with me and these people? If you go with us, we will know for sure. If you don’t go with us, these people and I will be no different from any other people on the earth.”
17Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will do what you ask. I will do this because I am pleased with you and because I know you very well.”#33:17 I know you very well Literally, “I know you by name.”
18Then Moses said, “Now, please show me your Glory.”
19Then the Lord answered, “I will show my love and mercy to anyone I want to. So I will cause my perfect goodness to pass by in front of you, and I will speak my name, YAHWEH, so that you can hear it. 20But you cannot see my face. No one can see me and continue to live.”
21Then the Lord said, “Here is a place for you to stand by me on this large rock. 22I will put you in a large crack in that rock. Then I will cover you with my hand, and my Glory will pass by. 23Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back. But you will not see my face.”
Currently Selected:
Exodus 33: ERV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Exodus 33
33
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Go forth, ascend from this place, you and your people, whom you led away from the land of Egypt, into the land that I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: To your offspring, I will give it.
2 And I will send an Angel to precede you, so that I may cast out the Canaanite, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite,
3 and so that you may enter into a land flowing with milk and honey. For I will not go up with you, since you are a stiff-necked people, lest perhaps I may destroy you on the way."
4 And upon hearing this very bad news, the people mourned; and no one put on his finery according to custom.
5 And the Lord said to Moses: "Say to the sons of Israel: You are a stiff-necked people. I should at once go up into your midst and destroy you. Now immediately put aside your ornaments, so that I may know what to do to you."
6 Therefore, the sons of Israel put aside their ornaments before Mount Horeb.
7 Also, Moses took the tabernacle and pitched it beyond the camp at a distance, and he called its name: 'Tabernacle of the Covenant.' And all the people, who had any kind of question, went out to the Tabernacle of the Covenant, beyond the camp.
8 And when Moses went out to the tabernacle, all the people rose up, and each one stood at the door of his pavilion, and they beheld the back of Moses until he entered the tent.
9 And when he had gone into the Tabernacle of the Covenant, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door, and he spoke with Moses.
10 And all discerned that the pillar of cloud stood at the door of the Tabernacle. And they stood and worshipped at the doors of their tents.
11 But the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, just as a man is used to speaking to his friend. And when he returned to the camp, his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not withdraw from the Tabernacle.
12 Then Moses said to the Lord: "You instruct me to lead this people away, and you do not reveal to me whom you will send with me, particularly since you have said: 'I know you by name, and you have found favor before me.'
13 If, therefore, I have found favor in your sight, show your face to me, so that I may know you and may find grace before your eyes. Look favorably on your people, this nation."
14 And the Lord said, "My face will precede you, and I will give you rest."
15 And Moses said: "If you will not yourself precede us, then do not lead us away from this place.
16 For how will we be able to know, I and your people, that we have found grace in your sight, unless you walk with us, so that we may be glorified out of all the people who live upon the earth?"
17 Then the Lord said to Moses: "This word also, which you have spoken, I will do. For you have found grace before me, and I have known you by name."
18 And he said, "Show me your glory."
19 He responded: "I will show you all that is good, and I will call out with the name of the Lord before you. And I will take pity on whomever I will, and I will be lenient to whomever it will please me."
20 And again he said: "You are not able to see my face. For man shall not see me and live."
21 And again, he said: "Behold, there is a place with me, and you shall stand upon the rock.
22 And when my glory will cross over, I will set you in a cleft of the rock, and I will protect you with my right hand, until I pass by.
23 And I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back. But my face you are not able to see."
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in