Exodus 33
The Voice
33 Eternal One (instructing Moses): The time has now arrived. Leave, and take all the people you have led out of Egypt with you. Go to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to whom I said, “I will give this land to your future generations.” 2 I will send a messenger to guide you, and I will force out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3 Travel to the land that flows with milk and honey, the land of your inheritance. However, because you are such an incredibly stubborn people, I will not be going with you. Otherwise, I would completely destroy you during the journey.
4 When everyone heard the dreadful news, they began to grieve and stopped wearing their jewelry to remind them of the calf made from their gold earrings. 5 You see the Eternal One had instructed Moses, “Give the Israelites this message: ‘You are such an incredibly stubborn people, therefore I am not going to travel with you. If I allowed Myself to travel with you for only a moment, I would completely destroy you. Stop wearing your jewelry so I can figure out what to do with you.’” 6 So the Israelites took off all of their jewelry from the time they left Mount Horeb.
7 Moses used to take a tent[a] and put it up far away from the camp. He referred to it as the meeting tent. Everyone who sought the Eternal One would go out to the meeting tent, which was located well outside the camp. 8 When the people heard that Moses was going out to the tent, they would get up and stand at the entrance of their own tents and watch him until he had gone inside. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the cloud pillar descended to the tent’s entrance, and the Eternal would talk with Moses. 10 When people witnessed the cloud pillar standing at the meeting tent’s entrance, they would stand and bow in worship at the entrance of their own tents. 11 The Eternal spoke with Moses face-to-face, just as a friend speaks to another friend. After they were done, Moses would come back to camp but his young assistant Joshua (Nun’s son) would remain behind.
The golden-calf incident creates a deep rift between God and His people. For their safety, God refuses to travel with them to the land of promise; instead, He sends His messenger to guide them. The people’s response to God’s threatened absence is to mourn and refuse to wear their jewelry and fine clothes. The meeting tent and the congregation tent reflect this rift too. The congregation tent is to be God’s unique dwelling with His people, so it is located right in the middle of the camp. But now there is another tent, the meeting tent set up a long way from camp, far from the contagion of evil spreading there. From time to time, God and Moses meet there to talk; and Joshua stands watch over this intimate encounter, for only Joshua and Moses are not imperiled when the rest of Israel violates God’s directive and worships the golden calf. Moses speaks with God and does his best to get God back on good terms with His covenant people.
Moses (to the Lord): 12 Look, You tell me, “Lead these people!” but You haven’t yet told me whom You will send to accompany me. Yet You tell me, “I know you by name, and you have gained My trust and blessing.” 13 If I have gained Your trust and blessing, reveal Your way to me so that I can truly know You, and so that I may gain Your favor. Remember that this nation is Your covenant people.
Eternal One: 14 My presence will travel with you, and I will give you rest.
Moses: 15 If Your presence doesn’t travel with me, then don’t lead us away from here. 16 How will the people know that I have gained Your trust and blessing if You do not travel with us? Isn’t it the very fact that Your presence travels with us that distinguishes us from every other people on earth?
Eternal One: 17 I will do what you have said because you have gained My trust and blessing, and I know you by name.
Moses: 18 If Your presence will go with us, then let me see Your glory!
Eternal One: 19 I will cause all My goodness to pass before you, and I will declare My name, the Eternal One, before you. I will show mercy to whomever I choose to show mercy, and I will demonstrate compassion on whomever I choose to have compassion.[b] 20 You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live. 21 Look, there is a place next to Me on the rock where you may stand. 22 While My glory is passing by you, I will place you in a large crevice of the rock and hide you beneath My hand until I have completely passed by. 23 Then I will remove My hand, and you will see only My back. But you won’t be able to see My face.
Footnotes
- 33:7 Greek manuscripts read “his tent.”
- 33:19 Romans 9:15
Exodus 33
The Message
33 1-3 God said to Moses: “Now go. Get on your way from here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt. Head for the land which I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I will send an angel ahead of you and I’ll drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. It’s a land flowing with milk and honey. But I won’t be with you in person—you’re such a stubborn, hard-headed people!—lest I destroy you on the journey.”
4 When the people heard this harsh verdict, they were plunged into gloom and wore long faces. No one put on jewelry.
5-6 God said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You’re one hard-headed people. I couldn’t stand being with you for even a moment—I’d destroy you. So take off all your jewelry until I figure out what to do with you.’” So the Israelites stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb on.
* * *
7-10 Moses used to take the Tent and set it up outside the camp, some distance away. He called it the Tent of Meeting. Anyone who sought God would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp. It went like this: When Moses would go to the Tent, all the people would stand at attention; each man would take his position at the entrance to his tent with his eyes on Moses until he entered the Tent; whenever Moses entered the Tent, the Pillar of Cloud descended to the entrance to the Tent and God spoke with Moses. All the people would see the Pillar of Cloud at the entrance to the Tent, stand at attention, and then bow down in worship, each man at the entrance to his tent.
11 And God spoke with Moses face-to-face, as neighbors speak to one another. When he would return to the camp, his attendant, the young man Joshua, stayed—he didn’t leave the Tent.
* * *
12-13 Moses said to God, “Look, you tell me, ‘Lead this people,’ but you don’t let me know whom you’re going to send with me. You tell me, ‘I know you well and you are special to me.’ If I am so special to you, let me in on your plans. That way, I will continue being special to you. Don’t forget, this is your people, your responsibility.”
14 God said, “My presence will go with you. I’ll see the journey to the end.”
15-16 Moses said, “If your presence doesn’t take the lead here, call this trip off right now. How else will it be known that you’re with me in this, with me and your people? Are you traveling with us or not? How else will we know that we’re special, I and your people, among all other people on this planet Earth?”
17 God said to Moses: “All right. Just as you say; this also I will do, for I know you well and you are special to me. I know you by name.”
18 Moses said, “Please. Let me see your Glory.”
19 God said, “I will make my Goodness pass right in front of you; I’ll call out the name, God, right before you. I’ll treat well whomever I want to treat well and I’ll be kind to whomever I want to be kind.”
20 God continued, “But you may not see my face. No one can see me and live.”
21-23 God said, “Look, here is a place right beside me. Put yourself on this rock. When my Glory passes by, I’ll put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I’ve passed by. Then I’ll take my hand away and you’ll see my back. But you won’t see my face.”
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出埃及记 33
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
神命令以色列人起行
33 耶和華對摩西說：“你和你從埃及地領出來的人民要離開這裡，上我曾經起誓應許給亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的地去，我曾應許：‘我要把這地賜給你的後裔。’ 2 我要差派使者在你前面；我要把迦南人、亞摩利人、赫人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人趕出去， 3 你們要上那流奶與蜜的地方去；我不與你們一同上去，因為你們是硬著頸項的人民，免得我在路上把你們消滅。” 4 人民一聽見這凶信，就悲傷起來，也沒有人穿戴裝飾。 5 耶和華對摩西說：“你要對以色列人說：‘你們是硬著頸項的民；我若是霎時間與你們同行，我會把你們消滅的；所以，現在你們要把你們身上的裝飾脫下來，使我知道我要怎樣處置你們。’” 6 於是，以色列人離開何烈山以後，就把身上的裝飾脫下來。
會幕
7 摩西一向把會幕支搭在營外，離營遠些；摩西稱它為會幕。凡是尋求耶和華的，就出到營外的會幕那裡去。 8 摩西出營到會幕去的時候，全體的人民都起來，各人站在自己帳幕的門口，望著摩西，直到他進了會幕。 9 摩西進會幕的時候，就有雲柱降下來，停在會幕門口上面；耶和華就與摩西談話。 10 全體的人民看見了雲柱停在會幕門口上面，就都起來，各人在自己帳幕的門口下拜。 11 耶和華與摩西面對面說話，好像人對朋友說話一樣。然後，摩西回到營裡去，只有他的侍從，一個少年人，就是嫩的兒子約書亞，不離開會幕。
摩西的祈求與耶和華的榮耀
12 摩西對耶和華說：“看，你吩咐我說：‘把這百姓領上去’，可是你卻沒有讓我知道你要差派誰與我同去；只是你曾經說過：‘我按著你的名字認識你，你在我眼前也蒙了恩。’ 13 現在我若是在你眼前蒙恩，求你把你的道路指示我，使我可以認識你，可以在你眼前蒙恩；也求你想到這民族是你的人民。” 14 耶和華說：“我必親自與你同去，也必給你安息。” 15 摩西對他說：“你若是不親自與我們同去，就不要把我們從這裡領上去。 16 人在甚麼事上可以知道我和你的人民在你眼前蒙恩呢？不是因為你與我們同去，使我和你的人民可以和地上所有的人有分別嗎？”
17 耶和華對摩西說：“你所說的這件事我也要作，因為你在我眼前蒙恩，並且我按著你的名字認識了你。” 18 摩西說：“求你給我看看你的榮耀。” 19 耶和華說：“我要使我的一切美善都在你面前經過，並且要把我的名字耶和華在你面前宣告出來；我要恩待誰，就恩待誰；我要憐憫誰，就憐憫誰。” 20 他又說：“你不能看我的臉，因為沒有人看見了我還能活著。” 21 耶和華說：“看哪，我這裡有個地方，你要站在磐石上。 22 我的榮耀經過的時候，我要把你放在磐石隙中，我要用我的手掌遮蓋你，直到我過去了。 23 然後，我要收回我的手掌，你就會看見我的背後，卻不能看見我的臉。”
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
