Read the Bible

The Journey Resumed

¹ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought from the land of Egypt, to the land which ^(C1)I swore to Abraham, ^(C2)Isaac, and ^(C3)Jacob (Israel), saying, '^(C4)To your descendants I will give it.'² "I will send ^(C1)an Angel before you and ^(C2)I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. ^(VR1)3 "Go up to a land of abundance ^(F1)(C1)flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are a ^(C2)stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people, and ^(C3)I might destroy you on the way."

⁴ When the people heard this sad word, ^(C1)they mourned, and none of them put on his ornaments.⁵ For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the sons of Israel, 'You are ^(C1)a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people! If I should come among you for one moment, I would destroy you. Now therefore, penitently take off your ornaments, so that I may know what to do with you.'"⁶ So the Israelites left off all their ornaments in repentance, from Mount Horeb (Sinai) onward.

⁷ Now Moses used to take his own ^(C1)tent and pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting of God with His own people. And ^(C2)everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the temporary tent of meeting which was outside the camp.⁸ Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, each at his tent door, and look at Moses until he entered the tent.⁹ Whenever Moses entered the tent, ^(C1)the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the doorway of the tent; ^(C2)and the LORD would speak with Moses.¹⁰ When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tent door, all the people would rise and worship, each at his tent door.¹¹ And so ^(C1)the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, ^(C2)his attendant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Moses Intercedes

¹² Moses said to the LORD, "See, You say to me, '^(C1)Bring up this people,' but You have not let me know ^(C2)whom You will send with me. ^(C3)Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.'¹³ "Now therefore, I pray you, if I have found favor in Your sight, ^(C1)let me know Your ways so that I may know You becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, recognizing and understanding Your ways more clearly and that I may find grace and favor in Your sight. ^(C2)And consider also, that this nation is Your people."¹⁴ And the LORD said, "^(C1)My presence shall go with you, and ^(C2)I will give you rest by bringing you and the people into the promised land." ^(VR1)15 And Moses said to Him, "^(C1)If Your presence does not go with me, do not lead us up from here.¹⁶ "For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight? Is it not by Your going with us, so that ^(C1)we are distinguished, Your people and I, from all the other people on the face of the earth?"

¹⁷ The LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have asked; ^(C1)for you have found favor (lovingkindness, mercy) in My sight and I have known you personally by name." ^{(VR1)18 (C1)}Then Moses said, "Please, show me Your glory!"¹⁹ And God said, "^(C1)I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the LORD before you; for ^(C2)I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion (lovingkindness) on whom I will show compassion." ^(VR1)20 But He said, "You cannot see My face, ^(C1)for no man shall see Me and live!"²¹ Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place beside Me, and ^(C1)you shall stand there on the rock;²² and while My glory is passing by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and protectively ^(C1)cover you with My hand until I have passed by.²³ "Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but ^(C1)My face shall not be seen."