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Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt, and go to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’. 2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I Myself will not go with you, because you are a a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you along the way.”
4 When the people heard this bad news, they mourned and no one put on any ornaments. 5 For the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you, even for a moment, I might destroy you. So take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do with you’.” 6 So the Israelites remained stripped of their ornaments from Mount Horeb onward.
7 Now Moses used to take his tent and pitch it outside the camp, some distance away. He called it the ‘Tent of Meeting’, and anyone who wanted to consult the Lord would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would stand at the openings to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain standing at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10 When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would all stand up, then bow in worship, each at the entrance of his tent. 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his assistant, the young man Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the tent.
12 Moses said to the Lord, “Look, You have told me, ‘Lead these 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 favour in My sight’. 13 Now if I have indeed found favour in your eyes, teach me Your ways so I may know You and continue to find favour with You. Consider also that this nation is Your people.”
14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
15 Then Moses said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, don’t make us go up from here. 16 How will it then be known that I and your people have found favour in Your sight unless You go with us? By this, I and Your people will be distinct from all the other people on the face of the earth.”
17 The Lord answered Moses, “I will also do this very thing you have asked, because you have found favour in My sight, and I know you by name.”
18 Then Moses said, “Please, let me see your glory.”
19 And the Lord said, “I will make all My goodness pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20 “But,” He said, “you cannot see My face, for no mortal person can see Me and live.” 21 Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place near Me where you are to stand on a rock. 22 When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away My hand, and you will see My back, but My face must not be seen.”