Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
17 Yet they continued to sin against him,
and rebelled against the Most High[a] in the desert.
18 They willfully challenged God[b]
by asking for food to satisfy their appetite.
19 They insulted God, saying,[c]
“Is God really able to give us food[d] in the wilderness?
20 Yes,[e] he struck a rock and water flowed out;
streams gushed forth.
But can he also give us food?
Will he provide meat for his people?”
52 Yet he brought out his people like sheep;
he led them through the wilderness like a flock.
53 He guided them safely along, and they were not afraid;
but the sea covered their enemies.
54 He brought them to the border of his holy land,
to this mountainous land[a] that his right hand[b] acquired.
55 He drove the nations out from before them;
he assigned them their tribal allotments[c]
and allowed the tribes of Israel to settle down.[d]
The Presence of the Lord
7 [a] Moses took[b] the tent[c] and pitched it outside the camp, at a good distance[d] from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. Anyone[e] seeking[f] the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp.
8 And when Moses went out[g] to the tent, all the people would get up[h] and stand at the entrance to their tents[i] and watch[j] Moses until he entered the tent.[k] 9 And[l] whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord[m] would speak with Moses.[n] 10 When all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people, each one at the entrance of his own tent, would rise and worship.[o] 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face,[p] the way a person speaks[q] to a friend. Then Moses[r] would return to the camp, but his servant, Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent.[s]
12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have been saying to me, ‘Bring this people up,’[t] but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. But you said, ‘I know you by name,[u] and also you have found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me[v] your way, that I may know you,[w] that I may continue to find[x] favor in your sight. And see[y] that this nation is your people.”
14 And the Lord[z] said, “My presence[aa] will go with you,[ab] and I will give you rest.”[ac]
15 And Moses[ad] said to him, “If your presence does not go[ae] with us,[af] do not take us up from here.[ag] 16 For how will it be known then that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not by your going with us, so that we will be distinguished, I and your people, from all the people who are on the face of the earth?”[ah]
17 The Lord said to Moses, “I will do this thing also that you have requested, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know[ai] you by name.”
18 And Moses[aj] said, “Show me your glory.”[ak]
19 And the Lord[al] said, “I will make all my goodness[am] pass before your face, and I will proclaim the Lord by name[an] before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious; I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.”[ao] 20 But he added, “You cannot see my face, for no one can[ap] see me and live.”[aq] 21 The Lord said, “Here[ar] is a place by me; you will station yourself[as] on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and will cover[at] you with my hand[au] while I pass by.[av] 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back,[aw] but my face must not be seen.”[ax]
30 “After[a] forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert[b] of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush.[c] 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached to investigate, there came the voice of the Lord, 32 ‘I am the God of your forefathers,[d] the God of Abraham, Isaac,[e] and Jacob.’[f] Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look more closely.[g] 33 But the Lord said to him, ‘Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.[h] 34 I have certainly seen the suffering[i] of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them.[j] Now[k] come, I will send you to Egypt.’[l]
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