Exodus 33
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Tent Outside the Camp
33 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go, leave here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: I will give it to your offspring.(A) 2 I will send an angel ahead of you and will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites,[a] Hivites, and Jebusites.(B) 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.”(C) 4 When the people heard this bad news, they mourned and didn’t put on their jewelry.(D)
5 For the Lord said to Moses: “Tell the Israelites: You are a stiff-necked people. If I went with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.” 6 So the Israelites remained stripped of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.
7 Now Moses took a tent and set it up outside the camp, far away from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting. Anyone who wanted to consult the Lord would go to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp.(E) 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would stand up, each one at the door of his tent, and they would watch Moses until he entered the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance to the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.(F) 10 As all the people saw the pillar of cloud remaining at the entrance to the tent, they would stand up, then bow in worship, each one at the door of his tent. 11 The Lord spoke with Moses face to face, just as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his assistant, the young man Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the inside of the tent.(G)
The Lord’s Glory
12 Moses said to the Lord, “Look, You have told me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. You said, ‘I know you by name,(H) and you have also found favor in My sight.’ 13 Now if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, please teach me Your ways,(I) and I will know You and find favor in Your sight. Now consider that this nation is Your people.”(J)
14 Then He replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”(K)
15 “If Your presence does not go,” Moses responded to Him, “don’t make us go up from here. 16 How will it be known that I and Your people have found favor in Your sight unless You go with us? I and Your people will be distinguished by this from all the other people on the face of the earth.”(L)
17 The Lord answered Moses, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.”
18 Then Moses said, “Please, let me see Your glory.”(M)
19 He said, “I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name Yahweh before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”(N) 20 But He answered, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see(O) Me and live.” 21 The Lord said, “Here is a place near Me. You are to stand on the rock, 22 and when My glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.(P) 23 Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 33:2 Sam, LXX add Girgashites
Exodus 33
King James Version
33 And the Lord said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
2 And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
3 Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.
4 And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
5 For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.
7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
12 And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
17 And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
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
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
