Add parallel Print Page Options

33 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart and go up from here, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt unto the land which I swore unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it.

(And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.)

Unto the land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people lest I consume thee in the way.

And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned, and no one put on their ornaments.

For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the sons of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked 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 unto thee.

Then the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb on.

¶ And Moses took the tabernacle and pitched it outside the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of the testimony. And it came to pass that every one who sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the testimony, which was outside the camp.

And it came to pass when Moses would go out unto the tabernacle, that all the people would rise up and stand each one at the door of their tent, with their gaze following Moses until he was gone into the tabernacle.

And when Moses would enter into the tabernacle, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD would talk with Moses.

10 And when all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door, all the people would rise up, each one in the door of their tent, and worship.

11 And the LORD would speak unto Moses face to face, as anyone would speak unto their friend. And he would turn again into the camp, but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart out of the tabernacle.

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

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.

14 And he said, My presence {Heb. faces} shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

15 And he said unto him, If thy presence {Heb. faces} is not to go before us, do not bring us out of here.

16 For in what shall it be known here that I have found grace in thy sight, I and thy people, but in that thou goest with us, and I and thy people will be separated from all the peoples that are upon the face of the earth?

17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken because thou hast found grace in my sight, and I have known thee by name.

18 Then he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.

19 And he replied, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name that I AM before thee; and I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and will show clemency on whom I will show clemency.

20 He further said, Thou canst not see my face; for no man shall see me and live.

21 And the LORD continued saying, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock;

22 and it shall come to pass while my glory passes by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock and will cover thee with my hand until I have passed by.

23 Then I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts, but my face {Heb. faces} shall not be seen.

33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath(A) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’(B) I will send an angel(C) before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.(D) Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey.(E) But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked(F) people and I might destroy(G) you on the way.”

When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn(H) and no one put on any ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people.(I) If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy(J) you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’” So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.(K)

The Tent of Meeting

Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.”(L) Anyone inquiring(M) of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents,(N) watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud(O) would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke(P) with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent.(Q) 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face,(R) as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua(S) son of Nun did not leave the tent.

Moses and the Glory of the Lord

12 Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’(T) but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name(U) and you have found favor(V) with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways(W) so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”(X)

14 The Lord replied, “My Presence(Y) will go with you, and I will give you rest.”(Z)

15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence(AA) does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us?(AB) What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”(AC)

17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked,(AD) because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”(AE)

18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”(AF)

19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass(AG) in front of you, and I will proclaim my name,(AH) the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.(AI) 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see(AJ) me and live.”

21 Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock(AK) and cover you with my hand(AL) until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”