Exodus 33
Expanded Bible
33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “You and the people you brought out of Egypt must ·leave [L go up from] this place. Go to the land that I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give that land to your ·descendants [L seed; Gen. 12:1–3].’ 2 I will send an ·angel [or messenger] ·to lead [L before] you, and I will ·force [drive] these people out of the land: the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 3 Go up to a ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; 3:8]. But I will not go with you, because I might ·destroy [consume] you on the way, since you are such a ·stubborn people [stiff-necked people].”
4 When the people heard this bad news, they ·became very sad [mourned], and none of them put on ·jewelry [ornaments; or festive dress]. 5 This was because the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel], ‘You are a ·stubborn [L stiff-necked] people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I would destroy you. So take off all your ·jewelry [ornaments; or festive dress], and I will decide what to do with you.’” 6 So the ·people [L sons; children] of Israel ·took [stripped] off their ·jewelry [ormanents; or festive dress] at Mount ·Sinai [L Horeb; 3:1].
The Meeting Tent
7 Moses used to take a tent and ·set it up [pitch it] a long way outside the camp; he called it the “Meeting Tent.” Anyone who wanted to ·ask [seek] the Lord about something would go to the Meeting Tent outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the Tent, all the people would rise and stand at the entrances of their tents, watching him until he entered the ·Meeting Tent [L Tent]. 9 When Moses went into the Tent, the pillar of cloud [13:21–22] would always come down and stay at the entrance of the Tent while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud at the entrance of the Tent, they stood and worshiped, each person at the entrance of his own tent.
11 The Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend [Num. 12:6–8]. Then Moses would return to the camp, but Moses’ young ·helper [assistant], Joshua son of Nun, did not leave the Tent.
12 Moses said to the Lord, “You have told me to ·lead [L bring up] these people, but you did not say whom you would send with me. You have said to me, ‘I know you ·very well [L by name], and ·I am pleased with you [L you have found favor in my eyes].’ 13 If I have ·truly pleased you [L found favor in your eyes], show me your ·plans [path; way] so that I may know you and continue to ·please you [L find favor/grace in your eyes]. ·Remember [Consider] that this nation is your people.”
14 The Lord answered, “·I myself [L My presence] will go with you, and I will give you ·victory [or rest].”
15 Then Moses said to him, “If ·you yourself don’t [L your presence does not] go with us, then don’t send us ·away [up] from this place. 16 ·If you don’t go with us, no one will know [L How else will it be known…?] that ·you are pleased with me [L I have found favor in your eyes] and with your people. These people and I will be no different from any other people on earth.”
17 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will do what you ask, because I know you ·very well [L by name], and ·I am pleased with you [L you have found favor/grace in my eyes].”
Moses Sees God’s Glory
18 Then Moses said, “Now, please show me your glory [C his manifest presence].”
19 The Lord answered, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will announce my name, the Lord, so you can hear it. I will show ·kindness [favor] to anyone to whom I want to show ·kindness [favor], and I will show ·mercy [compassion] to anyone to whom I want to show ·mercy [compassion]. 20 But you cannot see my face, because no one can see me and live.
21 “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes that place, I will put you in a large ·crack [fissure; T cleft] in the rock and ·cover [screen] you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will ·take away [remove] my hand, and you will see my back. But my face must not be seen.”
Exodus 33
New American Standard Bible
The Journey Resumed
33 Then 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 (A)I swore to Abraham, (B)Isaac, and (C)Jacob, saying, ‘(D)To your [a]descendants I will give it.’ 2 And I will send (E)an angel before you and (F)I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 3 Go up to a land (G)flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are [b](H)an obstinate people, and (I)I might destroy you on the way.”
4 When the people heard this [c]sad word, (J)they went into mourning, and none of them put on his jewelry. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You are [d](K)an obstinate people; if I [e]were to go up in your midst for just one moment, I would destroy you. So now, take off your [f]jewelry that I may know what I shall do to you.’” 6 So the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their jewelry, from Mount Horeb onward.
7 Now Moses used to take (L)the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And (M)everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. 8 And 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. 9 Whenever Moses entered the tent, (N)the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; (O)and [g]the Lord would speak with Moses. 10 When 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. 11 So (P)the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When [h]Moses returned to the camp, (Q)his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
Moses Intercedes
12 Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘(R)Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know (S)whom You will send with me. (T)Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ 13 Now then, if I have found favor in Your sight in any way, please (U)let me know Your ways so that I may know You, in order that I may find favor in Your sight. (V)Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” 14 And He said, “(W)My presence shall go with you, and (X)I will give you rest.” 15 Then he said to Him, “(Y)If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. 16 For 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 (Z)we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are on the face of the [i]earth?”
17 The Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; (AA)for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.” 18 (AB)Then Moses said, “Please, show me Your glory!” 19 And He said, “(AC)I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and (AD)I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion to whom I will show compassion.” 20 He further said, “You cannot see My face, (AE)for mankind shall not see Me and live!” 21 Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place [j]by Me, and (AF)you shall stand there on the rock; 22 and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and (AG)cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but (AH)My face shall not be seen.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 33:1 Lit seed
- Exodus 33:3 Or a stiff-necked
- Exodus 33:4 Lit evil
- Exodus 33:5 Or a stiff-necked
- Exodus 33:5 Or go up...I will destroy
- Exodus 33:5 Lit jewelry from you, that
- Exodus 33:9 Lit He
- Exodus 33:11 Lit he
- Exodus 33:16 Lit ground
- Exodus 33:21 Lit with
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
