Exodus 33
Open in the reader1Then He-Who-Is said to Drawn-Out, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of the land of Two-Straits, and go to the land that I promised to Father-of-a-Multitude, He-Laughs, and Heel-Grabber when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’
2And I will send a messenger before you, and I will drive out the Humbled-Ones, Mountaineers, Son-of-Terrors, Open-Country-Dwellers, Tent-Villagers, and Trodden-Ones.
3Go 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.”
4When the people heard this bad news, they went into mourning, and no one put on any of his jewelry.
5For He-Who-Is had said to Drawn-Out, “Tell the children of Strives-with-God, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I should go with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.’”
6So the children of Strives-with-God stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Desolate onward.
7Now Drawn-Out used to take the tent and pitch it at a distance outside the camp. He called it the Tent of Meeting, and anyone inquiring of He-Who-Is would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.
8Then, whenever Drawn-Out went out to the tent, all the people would stand at the entrances to their own tents and watch Drawn-Out until he entered the tent.
9As Drawn-Out entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance, and He-Who-Is would speak with Drawn-Out.
10When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they would stand up and worship, each one at the entrance to his own tent.
11Thus He-Who-Is would speak to Drawn-Out face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Drawn-Out would return to the camp, but his young assistant He-Who-Is-Saves son of Nun would not leave the tent.
12Then Drawn-Out said to He-Who-Is, “Look, You have been telling me, ‘Lead this people up,’ 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 found favor in My sight.’
13Now if indeed I have found favor in Your sight, please let me know Your ways, that I may know You and find favor in Your sight. Remember that this nation is Your people.”
14And He-Who-Is answered, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
15“If Your Presence does not go with us,” Drawn-Out replied, “do not lead us up from here.
16For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight, unless You go with us? How else will we be distinguished from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
17So He-Who-Is said to Drawn-Out, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.”
18Then Drawn-Out said, “Please show me Your glory.”
19“I will cause all My goodness to pass before you,” He-Who-Is replied, “and I will proclaim My name—He-Who-Is—in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
20But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”
21He-Who-Is continued, “There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock,
22and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.
23Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.”