1The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ (Ge 12:7; Ex 32:7; Ex 32:13)2I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (Ex 13:5; Ex 14:19)3Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” (Ex 3:8; Ex 32:9; Ex 32:10; Ex 33:15; Nu 16:21; Nu 16:45)4When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. (Nu 14:39; Eze 24:17; Eze 24:23; Eze 26:16)5For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” (Ex 32:12; Ex 33:3; Ex 33:4)6Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
The Tent of Meeting
7Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. (Ex 29:42; De 4:29; 2Sa 21:1; 1Ch 16:10; Ps 40:16)8Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. (Nu 16:27)9When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord[1] would speak with Moses. (Ex 13:21)10And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.11Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. (Ge 32:30; Ex 17:9; Ex 24:13; Ex 32:17; Nu 12:8; De 34:10)
Moses’ Intercession
12Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ (Ex 32:34; Ex 33:17)13Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” (De 9:29; Ps 25:4; Ps 103:7; Joe 2:17)14And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Ex 40:34; De 3:20; Jos 1:5; Jos 21:44; Jos 22:4; Jos 23:1; Ps 95:11; Isa 63:9)15And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. (Ex 33:1)16For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” (Ex 19:5; Nu 14:14; 1Ki 8:53)17And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” (Ex 33:12)18Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” (Ex 33:20; 1Ti 6:16)19And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. (Ex 34:5; Ps 31:19; Jer 31:14; Ro 9:15)20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” (Ge 32:30; Ex 24:10; De 5:24; Jud 6:22; Jud 13:22; Isa 6:5; Re 1:17)21And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock,22and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. (Ps 91:1; Ps 91:4; Isa 2:21)23Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” (Ex 33:20; Joh 1:18; 1Ti 6:16; 1Jo 4:12)
Exodus 33
New International Version
1Then 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 to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, “I will give it to your descendants.”2I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.3Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.’4When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no-one put on any ornaments.5For the Lord had said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites, “You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.” ’6So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.
The tent of meeting
7Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the ‘tent of meeting’. Anyone enquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.8And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent.9As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses.10Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshipped, each at the entrance to their tent.11The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
Moses and the glory of the Lord
12Moses said to the Lord, ‘You have been telling me, “Lead these people,” but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, “I know you by name and you have found favour with me.”13If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favour with you. Remember that this nation is your people.’14The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’15Then Moses said to him, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.16How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?’17And the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.’18Then Moses said, ‘Now show me your glory.’19And the Lord said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, 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.20But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for no-one may see me and live.’21Then the Lord said, ‘There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.22When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.23Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.’
Exodus 33
King James Version
1And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:2And 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:3Unto a 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.4And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.5For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children 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.6And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.7And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.8And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.9And 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.10And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.11And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto 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.12And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto 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.13Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew 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.14And he said, My presence shall go with thee , and I will give thee rest.15And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me , carry us not up hence.16For 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.17And the LORD said unto 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.18And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.19And 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 shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.20And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.21And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:22And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:23And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
Exodus 33
New International Reader’s Version
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 jewellery.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 jewellery. Then I will decide what to do with you.” ’6So the people took off their jewellery 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.9Whenever Moses went 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 as 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.’