Exodus 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:

1The LORD said to Moses, "Leave this place. Take the people you led out of Egypt. Go to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I told them, 'I will give this land to your family.'

2And 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:

2"I will send an angel, a messenger from me, to go ahead of you. I will push out the people who live there. They are the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

3Unto 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.

3"Go to that good land. It is full of milk and honey. But I will not go along with you. You are stubborn people. If I went with you, I might destroy you on the way."

4And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.

4The people heard this bad news, and they were very sad. No one put on their jewelry.

Note"Ornaments" in the old wording means jewelry, like rings and necklaces. People took it off to show they were sad.

5For 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.

5The LORD had told Moses to say this to the people of Israel: "You are stubborn people. If I went with you even a moment, I might destroy you. So take off your jewelry now. Then I will decide what to do with you."

6And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.

6So the people of Israel took off their jewelry at Mount Horeb, and they did not wear it again.

7And 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.

7Moses would take the tent and set it up outside the camp, far away. He called it the Tent of Meeting. Anyone who wanted to ask God something went out to that tent.

Note"Tabernacle" is an old word for a special tent. This tent was a place to meet with God.

8And 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.

8Whenever Moses walked out to the tent, all the people stood up. Each one stood at the door of his own tent. They watched Moses until he went inside.

9And 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.

9When Moses went into the tent, a tall cloud came down. It stood at the door of the tent. And the LORD talked with Moses.

10And 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.

10All the people saw the cloud standing at the tent door. Then they all stood up and worshiped. Each one did this at the door of his own tent.

11And 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.

11The LORD spoke to Moses face to face, the way a man talks with his friend. Then Moses went back to the camp. But his young helper Joshua, son of Nun, stayed in the tent.

12And 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.

12Moses said to the LORD, "Look, you tell me to lead these people. But you have not told me who will go with me. You said, 'I know you by name, and I am pleased with you.'

Note"Found grace in my sight" is old wording. It means God was pleased with Moses and chose to be kind to him.

13Now 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.

13"So if you are pleased with me, please show me your ways. Then I will really know you. Then I will keep pleasing you. And remember, this nation is your people."

14And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

14The LORD said, "I myself will go with you. And I will give you rest."

15And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.

15Moses said to him, "If you do not go with us, please do not send us away from here.

16For 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.

16"How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and your people? Only if you go with us. That is what makes us different from every other people on earth."

17And 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.

17The LORD said to Moses, "I will do this thing you asked. I am pleased with you, and I know you by name."

18And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

18Then Moses said, "Please show me your glory. Let me see how great and bright you are."

19And 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.

19God said, "I will let all my goodness pass by in front of you. I will say my name, the LORD, out loud to you. I choose who to be kind to. I choose who to show mercy to."

20And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

20God said, "But you cannot see my face. No one can see me and stay alive."

21And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

21The LORD said, "Look, there is a place near me. Go stand on a rock there.

22And 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:

22"While my glory goes by, I will put you in a crack in the rock. I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

23And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

23"Then I will take my hand away. You will see my back. But my face must not be seen."