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
Exodus 33
International Standard Version
The Lord Instructs Israel to Leave
33 The Lord told Moses, “Go up[a] from here, you and the people whom you brought out of Egypt, to the land about which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob saying, ‘I’ll give it to your descendants.’[b] 2 I’ll send an angel in front of you and I’ll drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey, but I won’t go up among you, because you are an obstinate[c] people, and otherwise I might consume you along the way.”
4 When the people heard this troubling word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. 5 The Lord had told Moses, “Say to the Israelis, ‘You are an obstinate people,[d] and if for one moment I went up among you, I would put an end to you. Now take off your ornaments so I may decide[e] what to do with you.’” 6 So the Israelis did not wear[f] their ornaments from Mount Horeb onward.
God’s Presence at the Tent of Meeting
7 Moses used to take the tent and set it up outside the camp at a distance from the camp, and he called it the Tent of Meeting. When anyone sought the Lord, he would go out to the Tent of Meeting which was outside the camp. 8 When Moses would go out to the tent, all the people would get up, and each would stand in the doorway of his tent, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stand at the doorway of the tent while God[g] spoke with Moses. 10 When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the doorway of the tent, all of them[h] would get up and prostrate themselves in worship, each one at the doorway of his tent. 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face just as a man speaks with his friend. When Moses[i] returned to the camp, Nun’s son Joshua, his young servant, would not leave the tent.
The Promise of God’s Presence on the Journey
12 Moses told the Lord, “Look, you have told me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you haven’t let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name,’ and also, ‘You have found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now, if I’ve found favor in your sight, please show me your ways so I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. And remember,[j] this nation is your people.”
14 He said, “My presence will go with you, and I’ll give you rest.” 15 Then Moses[k] told the Lord,[l] “If your presence does not go with us,[m] don’t bring us up from here. 16 Otherwise,[n] how shall it be known that your people and I have received favor from you, unless you go with us and that we, your people and I, are distinguished from all the people on the surface of the earth?”
Moses Sees God’s Glory
17 The Lord told Moses, “I’ll do the very[o] thing that you have said, because you have found favor in my sight and I know you by name.”
18 Then Moses[p] said, “Please show me your glory.”
19 God[q] said, “I’ll cause all my goodness to pass before you, and I’ll proclaim the name ‘the Lord’ before you. I’ll be gracious to whom I’ll be gracious, and I’ll show compassion on whom I’ll show compassion. 20 But,” he said, “You cannot see my face, because a man cannot see me and live.”
21 The Lord said, “Look, there is a place near[r] me where you can stand on the rock; 22 and as my glory passes by, I’ll put you in a crevice in the rock, and cover you with my hand until I’ve passed by. 23 Then I’ll remove my hand so you may see my back, but my face must not be seen.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 33:1 Lit. go, go up
- Exodus 33:1 Lit. your seed
- Exodus 33:3 Lit. stiff-necked
- Exodus 33:5 Lit. stiff-necked
- Exodus 33:5 Lit. know
- Exodus 33:6 Lit. stripped themselves of
- Exodus 33:9 Lit. he
- Exodus 33:10 Lit. all the people
- Exodus 33:11 Lit. he
- Exodus 33:13 Or consider; Lit. see
- Exodus 33:15 Lit. he
- Exodus 33:15 Lit. to him
- Exodus 33:15 Lit. does not go
- Exodus 33:16 Lit. For
- Exodus 33:17 Lit. this
- Exodus 33:18 Lit. he
- Exodus 33:19 Lit. He
- Exodus 33:21 Or with
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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