1 Then the Loʀᴅ spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which AEx 32:13I swore to Abraham, BGen 26:1-3Isaac, and CGen 28:10Jacob, saying, ‘DGen 12:7To your 1Lit seeddescendants I will give it.’ 2  “I will send AEx 32:34an angel before you and BEx 23:27-31; Josh 24:11I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3  “Go up to a land AEx 3:8, 17flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are 1Lit a stiff-neckedBEx 32:9; 33:5an obstinate people, and CEx 32:10I might destroy you on the way.”

4 When the people heard this 1Lit evilsad word, ANum 14:1, 39they went into mourning, and none of them put on his ornaments. 5 For the Loʀᴅ had said to Moses, “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You are 1Lit a stiff-neckedAEx 33:3an obstinate people; should I go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. Now therefore, put off your ornaments from you, that I may know what I shall do with you.’ ” 6 So the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.

7 Now Moses used to take AEx 18:7, 12-16the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And BEx 29:42feveryone who sought the Loʀᴅ would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. 8 And it came about, 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 Whenever Moses entered the tent, AEx 13:21the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; BPs 99:7and 1Lit Hethe Loʀᴅ would speak with Moses. 10 When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. 11 Thus ANum 12:8; Deut 34:10the Loʀᴅ used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When 1Lit heMoses returned to the camp, BEx 24:13his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

12 Then Moses said to the Loʀᴅ, “See, You say to me, ‘AEx 3:10; 32:34Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know BEx 33:2whom You will send with me. CEx 33:17Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ 13  “Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, APs 25:4; 27:11; 51:13; 86:11; 119:33let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. BEx 3:7, 10; 5:1; 32:12, 14; Deut 9:26, 29Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” 14 And He said, “ADeut 4:37; Is 63:9My presence shall go with you, and BDeut 12:10; 25:19; Josh 21:44; 22:4I will give you rest.” 15 Then he said to Him, “APs 80:3, 7, 19If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. 16  “For 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 ALev 20:24, 26we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the 1Lit groundearth?”

17 The Loʀᴅ said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; AEx 33:12for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.” 18 AEx 33:20-23Then 1Lit heMoses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” 19 And He said, “AEx 34:6, 7I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Loʀᴅ before you; and BRom 9:15I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” 20 But He said, “You cannot see My face, AIs 6:5; 1 Tim 6:16for no man can see Me and live!” 21 Then the Loʀᴅ said, “Behold, there is a place 1Lit withby Me, and APs 18:2, 46; 27:5; 61:2; 62:7you 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 APs 91:1, 4; Is 49:2; 51:16cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23  “Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but AEx 33:20; John 1:18My face shall not be seen.”