Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁷ Now Moses used to take ^(A)the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And ^(B)everyone who sought Yahweh would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. ⁸ And it happened 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 And it happened whenever Moses entered the tent, that ^(C)the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; ^(D)and ^[a]Yahweh would speak with Moses. ¹⁰ And all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent. And all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. ¹¹ Thus ^(E)Yahweh used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. Then ^[b]Moses would return to the camp, and ^(F)his attendant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Moses and the Glory of Yahweh

¹² Then Moses said to Yahweh, “See, You say to me, ‘^(G)Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know ^(H)whom You will send with me. ^(I)Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ ¹³ So now, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, ^(J)let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. ^(K)See also, that this nation is Your people.” ¹⁴ And He said, “^(L)My presence shall go with you, and ^(M)I will give you rest.” ¹⁵ Then he said to Him, “^(N)If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. ¹⁶ Indeed, 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 ^(O)we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the ^[c]earth?”

¹⁷ Then Yahweh said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; ^(P)for you have found favor in My sight, and I have known you by name.” ^18 (Q)Then ^[d]Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” ¹⁹ And He said, “^(R)I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of Yahweh before you; and ^(S)I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” ²⁰ But He said, “You cannot see My face, ^(T)for no man can see Me and live!” ²¹ Then Yahweh said, “Behold, there is a place ^[e]by Me, and ^(U)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 ^(V)cover you with My hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will remove My hand, and you shall see My back, but ^(W)My face shall not be seen.”

³⁰ “And after forty years had passed, ^(A)an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. ³¹ When Moses saw it, he was marveling at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the ^[a]Lord: ³² ‘^(B)I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and would not dare to look. ^33 (C)But the ^[b]Lord said to him, ‘^(D)Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. ^34 (E)I have surely seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to deliver them; ^[c](F)come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’