33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “You and the people you brought out of Egypt must ·leave [^Lgo up from] this place. Go to the land that I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give that land to your ·descendants [^Lseed; Gen. 12:1–3].’ ² I will send an ·angel [or messenger] ·to lead [^Lbefore] you, and I will ·force [drive] these people out of the land: the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ³ Go up to a ·fertile land [^Lland flowing with milk and honey; 3:8]. But I will not go with you, because I might ·destroy [consume] you on the way, since you are such a ·stubborn people [stiff-necked people].”

⁴ When the people heard this bad news, they ·became very sad [mourned], and none of them put on ·jewelry [ornaments; or festive dress]. ⁵ This was because the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel], ‘You are a ·stubborn [^Lstiff-necked] people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I would destroy you. So take off all your ·jewelry [ornaments; or festive dress], and I will decide what to do with you.’” ⁶ So the ·people [^Lsons; children] of Israel ·took [stripped] off their ·jewelry [ormanents; or festive dress] at Mount ·Sinai [^LHoreb; 3:1].

The Meeting Tent

⁷ Moses used to take a tent and ·set it up [pitch it] a long way outside the camp; he called it the “Meeting Tent.” Anyone who wanted to ·ask [seek] the Lord about something would go to the Meeting Tent outside the camp. ⁸ Whenever Moses went out to the Tent, all the people would rise and stand at the entrances of their tents, watching him until he entered the ·Meeting Tent [^LTent]. ⁹ When Moses went into the Tent, the pillar of cloud [13:21–22] would always come down and stay at the entrance of the Tent while the Lord spoke with Moses. ¹⁰ Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud at the entrance of the Tent, they stood and worshiped, each person at the entrance of his own tent.

¹¹ The Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend [Num. 12:6–8]. Then Moses would return to the camp, but Moses’ young ·helper [assistant], Joshua son of Nun, did not leave the Tent.

¹² Moses said to the Lord, “You have told me to ·lead [^Lbring up] these people, but you did not say whom you would send with me. You have said to me, ‘I know you ·very well [^Lby name], and ·I am pleased with you [^Lyou have found favor in my eyes].’ ¹³ If I have ·truly pleased you [^Lfound favor in your eyes], show me your ·plans [path; way] so that I may know you and continue to ·please you [^Lfind favor/grace in your eyes]. ·Remember [Consider] that this nation is your people.”

¹⁴ The Lord answered, “·I myself [^LMy presence] will go with you, and I will give you ·victory [or rest].”

¹⁵ Then Moses said to him, “If ·you yourself don’t [^Lyour presence does not] go with us, then don’t send us ·away [up] from this place. ¹⁶ ·If you don’t go with us, no one will know [^LHow else will it be known…?] that ·you are pleased with me [^LI have found favor in your eyes] and with your people. These people and I will be no different from any other people on earth.”

¹⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will do what you ask, because I know you ·very well [^Lby name], and ·I am pleased with you [^Lyou have found favor/grace in my eyes].”

Moses Sees God’s Glory

¹⁸ Then Moses said, “Now, please show me your glory [^Chis manifest presence].”

¹⁹ The Lord answered, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will announce my name, the Lord, so you can hear it. I will show ·kindness [favor] to anyone to whom I want to show ·kindness [favor], and I will show ·mercy [compassion] to anyone to whom I want to show ·mercy [compassion]. ²⁰ But you cannot see my face, because no one can see me and live.

²¹ “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. ²² When my glory passes that place, I will put you in a large ·crack [fissure; ^Tcleft] in the rock and ·cover [screen] you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will ·take away [remove] my hand, and you will see my back. But my face must not be seen.”