Exodus 33
English Standard Version
The Command to Leave Sinai
33 The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you (A)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 (B)your offspring I will give it.’ 2 I will send an (C)angel before you, (D)and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3 (E)Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; (F)but I will not go up among you, (G)lest I consume you on the way, for you are a (H)stiff-necked people.”
4 When the people heard this disastrous word, they (I)mourned, and (J)no one put on his ornaments. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a (K)stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would (L)consume you. So now (M)take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” 6 Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
The Tent of Meeting
7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and (N)he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who (O)sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and (P)each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the (Q)pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord[a] would speak with Moses. 10 And 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. 11 Thus (R)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 (S)assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
Moses' Intercession
12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, (T)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, (U)‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please (V)show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is (W)your people.” 14 And he said, (X)“My presence will go with you, and (Y)I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, (Z)“If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? (AA)Is it not in your going with us, (AB)so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”
17 And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, (AC)for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “Please (AD)show me your glory.” 19 And he said, (AE)“I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And (AF)I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for (AG)man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a (AH)cleft of the rock, and I will (AI)cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall (AJ)not be seen.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 33:9 Hebrew he
Shemot 33
Orthodox Jewish Bible
33 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Depart, and go from here, thou and HaAm which thou hast brought up out of Eretz Mitzrayim, unto HaAretz which I swore unto Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya’akov, saying, Unto thy zera will I give it;
2 And I will send a Malach before thee; and I will drive out the Kena’ani, the Emori, the Chitti, the Perizzi, the Chivi, and the Yevusi;
3 Unto an Eretz zavat cholov and devash; for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art an Am Kesheh Oref (stiffnecked, obstinate people); lest I consume thee in HaDerech.
4 And when HaAm heard these evil tidings, they mourned; and no ish did put on him his ornamental attire.
5 For Hashem had said unto Moshe, Say unto the Bnei Yisroel, Ye are an Am Kesheh Oref; I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee; therefore now put off thy ornamental attire from thee, that I may decide what to do unto thee.
6 And the Bnei Yisroel stripped themselves of their ornamental attire by Mt. Chorev.
7 And Moshe would take the Ohel, and pitch it outside the machaneh, afar off from the machaneh, and called it the Ohel Mo’ed. And it came to pass, that every one which sought Hashem went out unto the Ohel Mo’ed, which was outside the machaneh.
8 And it came to pass, when Moshe went out unto the Ohel, that kol HaAm rose up, and stood every man at his petach ohel, and watched after Moshe, until he was gone into the Ohel.
9 And it came to pass, as Moshe entered into the Ohel, the Ammud of the Anan descended, and stood at the petach Ohel, and Hashem would speak with Moshe.
10 And kol HaAm saw the Ammud of the Anan stand at the petach Ohel; and kol HaAm rose up and worshiped, every man in his petach ohel.
11 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe face to face, as an ish speaketh unto his re’a. And he returned into the machaneh; but his mesharet Yehoshua ben Nun, a na’ar, departed not out of the Ohel.
12 And Moshe said unto Hashem, See, Thou sayest unto me, Bring this people onward; and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said, I know thee by shem, and thou hast also found chen (grace, unmerited favor) in My sight.
13 Therefore, now, if I have found chen in Thy sight, show me now Thy Derech, that I may have da’as of Thee, that I may find chen in Thy sight; and consider that this nation is Thy people.
14 And He said, My Presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
15 And he said unto Him, If Thy Presence go not with me, bring us not up from here [Sinai].
16 For how then shall it be known that I and Thy people have found chen in Thy sight? Is it not in that Thou goest with us? So shall we be made distinct as separate, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of ha’adamah.
17 And Hashem said unto Moshe, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found chen in My sight, and I know thee by shem.
18 And he said, show me now Thy kavod.
19 And He said, I will make kol tuvi (all My goodness) pass in front of thee, and I will call out with the Shem of Hashem before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show rachamim on whom I will show rachamim.
20 And He said, Thou canst not see My face; for there shall no adam see Me, and live.
21 And Hashem said, Hinei, there is a place near Me, and thou shalt stand upon the tzur;
22 And it shall come to pass, while My kavod passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the tzur, and will cover thee with My yad until I pass by;
23 And I will take away Mine yad, and thou shalt see My back; but My face shall not be seen.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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