Exodus 33
Contemporary English Version
The Lord Tells Israel To Leave Mount Sinai
33 (A) The Lord said to Moses:
You led the people of Israel out of Egypt. Now get ready to lead them to the land I promised their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 2-3 It is a land rich with milk and honey, and I will send an angel to force out those people who live there—the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I will not go with my people. They are so rebellious that I would destroy them before they get there.
4-5 Even before the Lord said these harsh things, he had told Moses, “These people really are rebellious, and I would kill them at once, if I went with them. But tell them to take off their fancy jewelry, then I'll decide what to do with them.” So the people started mourning, 6 and after leaving Mount Sinai,[a] they stopped wearing fancy jewelry.
The Lord Is with His People
7 Moses used to set up a tent far from camp. He called it the “meeting tent,” and whoever needed some message from the Lord would go there. 8 Each time Moses went out to this tent, everyone would stand at the entrance to their own tents and watch him enter. 9-11 Then they would bow down because a thick cloud would come down in front of the tent, and the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, just like a friend. Afterwards, Moses would return to camp, but his young assistant Joshua[b] would stay at the tent.
The Lord Promises To Be with His People
12 Moses said to the Lord, “I know that you have told me to lead these people to the land you promised them. But you have not said who will go along to help me. You have said that you are my friend and that you are pleased with me. 13 If this is true, let me know what your plans are, then I can obey and continue to please you. And don't forget that you have chosen this nation to be your own.”
14 The Lord said, “I will go with you and give you peace.”
15 Then Moses replied, “If you aren't going with us, please don't make us leave this place. 16 But if you do go with us, everyone will know that you are pleased with your people and with me. That way, we will be different from the rest of the people on earth.”
17 So the Lord told him, “I will do what you have asked, because I am your friend and I am pleased with you.”
18 Then Moses said, “I pray that you will let me see you in all of your glory.”
19 (B) The Lord answered:
All right. I am the Lord, and I show mercy and kindness to anyone I choose. I will let you see my glory and hear my holy name, 20 but I won't let you see my face, because anyone who sees my face will die. 21 There is a rock not far from me. Stand beside it, 22 and before I pass by in all of my shining glory, I will put you in a large crack in the rock. I will cover your eyes with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back. You will not see my face.
Exodus 33
New King James Version
The Command to Leave Sinai
33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you (A)and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, (B)‘To your descendants I will give it.’ 2 (C)And I will send My Angel before you, (D)and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3 Go up (E)to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest (F)I [a]consume you on the way, for you are a (G)stiff-necked[b] people.”
4 And when the people heard this bad news, (H)they mourned, (I)and no one put on his ornaments. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore, take off your [c]ornaments, that I may (J)know what to do to you.’ ” 6 So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.
Moses Meets with the Lord
7 Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and (K)called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who (L)sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. 8 So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood (M)at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. 9 And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord (N)talked with Moses. 10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and (O)worshiped, each man in his tent door. 11 So (P)the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but (Q)his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
The Promise of God’s Presence
12 Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, (R)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, (S)‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ 13 Now therefore, I pray, (T)if I have found grace in Your sight, (U)show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is (V)Your people.”
14 And He said, (W)“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you (X)rest.”
15 Then he said to Him, (Y)“If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, (Z)except You go with us? So we (AA)shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”
17 So the Lord said to Moses, (AB)“I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”
18 And he said, “Please, show me (AC)Your glory.”
19 Then He said, “I will make all My (AD)goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. (AE)I will be gracious to whom I will be (AF)gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for (AG)no man shall see Me, and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you (AH)in the cleft of the rock, and will (AI)cover you with My hand while I pass 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 33:3 destroy
- Exodus 33:3 stubborn
- Exodus 33:5 jewelry
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
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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