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.”
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Exodus 33
33
1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Go, get thee up from this place, thou and thy people which thou has brought out of the land of Egypt, into the land concerning which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: To thy seed I will give it.
2And I will send an angel before thee, that I may cast out the Chanaanite, and the Amorrhite, and the Hethite, and the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite.
3That thou mayst enter into the land that floweth with milk and honey. For I will not go up with thee, because thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I destroy thee in the way.
4And the people hearing these very bad tidings mourned: and no man put on his ornaments according to custom.
5And the Lord said to Moses: Say to the children of Israel: Thou are a stiffnecked people; once I shall come up in the midst of thee, and shall destroy thee. Now presently lay aside thy ornaments, that I may know what to do with thee.
6So the children of Israel laid aside their ornaments by mount Horeb.
7Moses also, taking the tabernacle, pitched it without the camp afar off, and called the name thereof, The tabernacle of the covenant. And all the people that had any question, went forth to the tabernacle of the covenant, without the camp.
8And when Moses went forth to the tabernacle, all the people rose up, and every one stood in the door of his pavilion: and they beheld the back of Moses, till he went into the tabernacle.
9And when he was gone into the tabernacle of the covenant, the pillar of the cloud came down, and stood at the door: and he spoke with Moses.
10And all saw that the pillar of the cloud stood at the door of the tabernacle. And they stood, and worshipped at the doors of their tents.
11And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man is wont to speak to his friend. And when he returned into the camp, his servant Josue the son of Nun, a young man, departed not from the tabernacle.
12And Moses said to the Lord: Thou commandest me to lead forth this people. And thou dost not let me know whom thou wilt send with me, especially whereas thou hast said: I know thee by name, and thou hast found favour in my sight.
13If therefore I have found favour in thy sight, shew me thy face, that I may know thee, and may find grace before thy eyes. Look upon thy people this nation.
14And the Lord said: My face shall go before thee, and I will give thee rest.
15And Moses said: If thou thyself dost not go before, bring us not out of this place.
16For how shall we be able to know, I and thy people, that we have found grace in thy sight, unless thou walk with us: that we may be glorified by all people that dwell upon the earth?
17And the Lord said to Moses: This word also, which thou hast spoken, will I do. For thou hast found grace before me, and thee I have known by name.
18And he said: Shew me thy glory.
19He answered: I will shew thee all good, and I will proclaim in the name of the Lord before thee: And I will have mercy on whom I will, and I will be merciful to whom it shall please me.
20And again he said: Thou canst not see my face: for man shall not see me and live.
21And again he said: Behold, there is a place with me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock.
22And when my glory shall pass, I will set thee in a hole of the rock, and protect thee with my right hand, till I pass.
23And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face thou canst not see.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.