The Command to Leave Sinai
1 Then theLordsaid to Moses, “Departandgo up from here, youand 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,‘To your descendants I will give it.’
2 And I will sendMyAngel before you,and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.
3 Goupto a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lestI consume you on the way, for youarea stiff-necked people.”
4 And when the people heard this bad news,they mourned,and no one put on his ornaments.
5 For theLordhad said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘Youarea stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore, take off your ornaments, that I mayknow 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, andcalled it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to passthateveryone whosought theLordwent out to the tabernacle of meeting whichwasoutside the camp.
8 So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle,thatall the people rose, and each man stoodathis 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 stoodatthe door of the tabernacle, andtheLordtalked with Moses.
10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud standingatthe tabernacle door, and all the people rose andworshiped, each maninhis tent door.
11 SotheLordspoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, buthis 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 theLord, “See,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,‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’
13 Now therefore, I pray,if I have found grace in Your sight,show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nationisYour people.”
14 And He said,“My Presence will gowithyou,and I will give yourest.”
15 Then he said to Him,“If Your Presence does not gowithus,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,except You go with us? So weshall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people whoareupon the face of the earth.”
17 So theLordsaid to Moses,“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 meYour glory.”
19 Then He said, “I will make all Mygoodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of theLordbefore you.I will be gracious to whom I will begracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; forno man shall see Me, and live.”
21 And theLordsaid, “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 youin the cleft of the rock, and willcover 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 shallnot be seen.”