Exodus 33

The Journey Resumed

1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which 1I swore to Abraham, 2Isaac, and 3Jacob, saying, ‘4To your 5descendants I will give it.’ 2And I will send 6an angel before you and 7I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 3Go up to a land 8flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are 910an obstinate people, and 11I might destroy you on the way.”

4When the people heard this 12sad word, 13they went into mourning, and none of them put on his jewelry. 5For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You are 1415an obstinate people; if I 16were to go up in your midst for just one moment, I would destroy you. So now, take off your 17jewelry that I may know what I shall do to you.’” 6So the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their jewelry, from Mount Horeb onward.

7Now Moses used to take 18the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And 19everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. 8And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent. 9Whenever Moses entered the tent, 20the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; 21and 22the Lord would speak with Moses. 10When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would stand and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. 11So 23the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When 24Moses returned to the camp, 25his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Moses Intercedes

12Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘26Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know 27whom You will send with me. 28Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ 13Now then, if I have found favor in Your sight in any way, please 29let me know Your ways so that I may know You, in order that I may find favor in Your sight. 30Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” 14And He said, “31My presence shall go with you, and 32I will give you rest.” 15Then he said to Him, “33If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. 16For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that 34we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are on the face of the 35earth?”

17The Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; 36for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.” 1837Then Moses said, “Please, show me Your glory!” 19And He said, “38I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and 39I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion to whom I will show compassion.” 20He further said, “You cannot see My face, 40for mankind shall not see Me and live!” 21Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place 41by Me, and 42you shall stand there on the rock; 22and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and 43cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but 44My face shall not be seen.”