Exodus 33
1 Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Leave this place and go with the people whom you led out of Egypt. Go to the land that I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that I would give to their descendants.
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, Depart, go up from here, thou and the people that thou have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, To thy seed will I give it.
2 I will send my angel ahead of you all, and I will expel [from that land] the Canaan, Amor, Heth, Periz, Hiv, and Jebus people-groups.
And I will send an agent before thee, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite-
3 You will go to a land that will be very good for raising livestock and growing crops [IDM]. But I will not go with you myself, because [if I did that], I might get rid of you while you are traveling, because you are very stubborn [IDM] people.”
to a land flowing with milk and honey. For I will not go up in the midst of thee, for thou are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume thee on the way.
4 Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Tell the Israeli people, ‘You are very stubborn [IDM]. If I would go with you for even a moment, I would completely (get rid of you/wipe you out). Now take off your jewelry [to show that you are sorry for having sinned]. Then I will decide how I will punish you (OR, if I should punish you).’” So when Moses/I told to the people what God said, they started to mourn, and they all took off their jewelry.
And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned, and no man put his ornaments on him.
And Jehovah said to Moses, Say to the sons of Israel, Ye are a stiff-necked people. If I go up into the midst of thee for one moment, I shall consume thee. Therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do to thee.
6 After the Israeli people left Sinai Mountain, they did not wear jewelry any more.
And the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from mount Horeb onward.
7 [When the Israeli people traveled], whenever they stopped and set up their tents, Moses/I had them set up a tent outside the camp, far from the camp. I called it ‘the Sacred Tent where God and I talk together’. Everyone who wanted Yahweh to decide something for them would go out of the camp to the Sacred Tent.
Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it outside the camp, afar off from the camp, and he called it, The tent of meeting. And it came to pass, that everyone who sought Jehovah went out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.
8 Whenever Moses/I went out to the Sacred Tent, all the people would stand at the entrances of their tents and watch him/me until he/I had entered the Sacred Tent.
And it came to pass, when Moses went out to the tent, that all the people rose up, and stood, every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tent.
9 When Moses/I entered the Sacred Tent, the tall cloud that looked like a fire would come down and stay at the entrance of the Sacred Tent, and then Yahweh would talk with Moses/me.
And it came to pass, when Moses entered into the tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the tent, and Jehovah spoke with Moses.
10 When the people saw the tall cloud at the entrance of the Sacred Tent, they would all prostrate themselves on the ground and worship Yahweh.
And all the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the door of the tent. And all the people rose up and worshiped, every man at his tent door.
11 Yahweh would speak to Moses/me directly, like someone speaks to his friend. Then Moses/I would return to the camp. But his/my young helper, Joshua, the son of Nun, stayed in the Sacred Tent.
And Jehovah spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend, and he turned again into the camp. But his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart out of the tent.
12 Moses/I said to Yahweh, “It is true that you have told me, ‘Lead the people to the land [that I will show you],’ and you have said that you know me well and that you are pleased with me, but you have not told me whom you will send with me!
And Moses said to Jehovah, See, thou say to me, Bring up this people, and thou have not let me know whom thou will send with me. Yet thou have said, I know thee by name, and thou have also found favor in my sight.
13 So now, if you are truly pleased with me, I ask you, tell me the things that you intend/plan to do, in order that I will know you [better] and continue to please you. Also, do not forget that the [Israeli] people are the people whom you chose to belong to you.”
Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, show me now thy ways, that I may know thee, to the end that I may find favor in thy sight. And consider that this nation is thy people.
14 Yahweh replied, “I will go with you, and I will give you inner peace.”
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
15 Moses/I replied, “If you do not go with me, do not force us to leave this place.
And Moses said to him, If thy presence go not, do not carry us up from here.
16 The only way that [other] people will know that you are pleased with me and with your people is if you go with us [RHQ]! (If you go with us, [that will show that] we are different from all the other people on the earth./If you do not go with us, what will show that we are different from all the other people on the earth?)” [RHQ]
For how shall it now be known that I have found favor in thy sight, I and thy people? Is it not in that thou go with us, so that we are separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth?
17 Yahweh replied to Moses/me, “What you have asked is exactly what I will do, because I know you well and I am pleased with you.”
And Jehovah said to Moses, I will do this thing also that thou have spoken, for thou have found favor in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 Then Moses/I said, “Please let me see your glorious presence!”
And he said, Show me, I pray thee, thy glory.
19 Yahweh replied, “I will let you see how great and glorious I am, and I will tell you clearly that my name is Yahweh. I will act very kindly and be merciful to all those whom I choose.
And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name of Jehovah before thee. I will be merciful to whom I may be merciful, and I will be compassionate to whomever I may be compassionate.
20 But you are not allowed to see my face, because anyone who sees my face will (die/not continue to stay alive).
And he said, Thou cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.
21 [But look]! Here is a place close to me where you can stand on a [large] rock.
And Jehovah said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shall stand upon the rock.
22 When my glorious presence comes past you, I will put you in a large crevice/opening in the rock, and I will cover your face with my hand until I have passed by.
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 my hand away, and you will see my back, but you will not see my face.”
And I will take away my hand, and thou shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.
