Exodus 33

Revised Geneva Translation

33 Afterward, the LORD said to Moses, “Depart. Go up from here — you and the people which you have brought up out of the land of Egypt — to the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘Unto your seed will I give it.’

² “And I will send an angel before you; and I will cast out the Canaanites, the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

³ “Go up, to a land that flows with milk and honey. For I will not go up with you, lest I consume you on the way (because you are a stiff-necked people).”

⁴ And when the people heard this bad news, they were sad. And no man put on his ornaments.

⁵ (For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. I will come suddenly upon you and consume you. Therefore, take off your ornaments now, so that I may know what to do to you.’”)

⁶ So, the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.

⁷ Then Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far away from the camp, and called it “Ohel-Moed”, or the “Tabernacle of the Congregation”. And when anyone sought the LORD, he went out to the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which was outside the camp.

⁸ And when Moses went out to the Tabernacle, all the people rose up. And every man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the Tabernacle.

⁹ And as soon as Moses had entered into the Tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the Tabernacle. And the LORD talked with Moses.

¹⁰ Now, when all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the Tabernacle door, all the people rose up and worshipped (every man in his tent door).

¹¹ And the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Afterward, he turned back toward the camp. But his servant, a young man named Joshua, the son of Nun, did not depart from the Tabernacle.

¹² Then, Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Lead this people forth.’ And You have not shown me whom You will send with me. You have also said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’

¹³ “Now, therefore, I pray, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me Your way, so that I may know You, so that I may find grace in Your sight. Also, consider that this nation is Your people.”

¹⁴ And He answered, “My presence shall go with you; and I will give you rest.”

¹⁵ Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not carry us from here.

¹⁶ “And how, then, shall it be known that I and Your people have found favor in Your sight? Shall it not be when You go with us? So that I and Your people shall be set apart from all the people on Earth?”

¹⁷ And the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this which You have said. For you have found grace in My sight; and I know you by name.”

¹⁸ Again he said, “I beg You, show me Your Glory.”

¹⁹ And He answered, “I will make all My goodness go before you. And I will proclaim the Name of the LORD before you. For I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy and will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

²⁰ Furthermore, He said, “You cannot see My face. For no man shall see Me there and live.”

²¹ Also, the LORD said, “Behold, a place by Me. And you shall stand upon the rock.

²² “And while My Glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.

²³ “Afterward, I will take away My hand and you shall see the back of Me. But My face shall not be seen.”