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33:1  Then the Lord said to Moses, “You and the people you brought out of Egypt must ·leave [L go up from] this place. Go to the land that I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give that land to your ·descendants [L seed; Gen. 12:1–3].’
33:2  I will send an ·angel [or messenger] ·to lead [L before] you, and I will ·force [drive] these people out of the land: the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
33:3  Go up to a ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; 3:8]. But I will not go with you, because I might ·destroy [consume] you on the way, since you are such a ·stubborn people [stiff-necked people].”
33:4  When the people heard this bad news, they ·became very sad [mourned], and none of them put on ·jewelry [ornaments; or festive dress].
33:5  This was because the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel], ‘You are a ·stubborn [L stiff-necked] people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I would destroy you. So take off all your ·jewelry [ornaments; or festive dress], and I will decide what to do with you.’”
33:6  So the ·people [L sons; children] of Israel ·took [stripped] off their ·jewelry [ormanents; or festive dress] at Mount ·Sinai [L Horeb; 3:1].
33:7  Moses used to take a tent and ·set it up [pitch it] a long way outside the camp; he called it the “Meeting Tent.” Anyone who wanted to ·ask [seek] the Lord about something would go to the Meeting Tent outside the camp.
33:8  Whenever Moses went out to the Tent, all the people would rise and stand at the entrances of their tents, watching him until he entered the ·Meeting Tent [L Tent].
33:9  When Moses went into the Tent, the pillar of cloud [13:21–22] would always come down and stay at the entrance of the Tent while the Lord spoke with Moses.
33:10  Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud at the entrance of the Tent, they stood and worshiped, each person at the entrance of his own tent.
33:11  The Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend [Num. 12:6–8]. Then Moses would return to the camp, but Moses’ young ·helper [assistant], Joshua son of Nun, did not leave the Tent.
33:12  Moses said to the Lord, “You have told me to ·lead [L bring up] these people, but you did not say whom you would send with me. You have said to me, ‘I know you ·very well [L by name], and ·I am pleased with you [L you have found favor in my eyes].’
33:13  If I have ·truly pleased you [L found favor in your eyes], show me your ·plans [path; way] so that I may know you and continue to ·please you [L find favor/grace in your eyes]. ·Remember [Consider] that this nation is your people.”
33:14  The Lord answered, “·I myself [L My presence] will go with you, and I will give you ·victory [or rest].”
33:15  Then Moses said to him, “If ·you yourself don’t [L your presence does not] go with us, then don’t send us ·away [up] from this place.
33:16  ·If you don’t go with us, no one will know [L How else will it be known…?] that ·you are pleased with me [L I have found favor in your eyes] and with your people. These people and I will be no different from any other people on earth.”
33:17  Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will do what you ask, because I know you ·very well [L by name], and ·I am pleased with you [L you have found favor/grace in my eyes].”
33:18  Then Moses said, “Now, please show me your glory [C his manifest presence].”
33:19  The Lord answered, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will announce my name, the Lord, so you can hear it. I will show ·kindness [favor] to anyone to whom I want to show ·kindness [favor], and I will show ·mercy [compassion] to anyone to whom I want to show ·mercy [compassion].
33:20  But you cannot see my face, because no one can see me and live.
33:21  “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.
33:22  When my glory passes that place, I will put you in a large ·crack [fissure; T cleft] in the rock and ·cover [screen] you with my hand until I have passed by.
33:23  Then I will ·take away [remove] my hand, and you will see my back. But my face must not be seen.”