Exodus 33 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, “You and the people you brought out of Egypt must leave this place. Go to the land that I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I promised them that I would give that land to their descendants.

² So I will send an angel to go before you. And I will defeat the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites the Hivites, and the Jebusites. I will force those people to leave your land.

³ So go to the land filled with many good things. [331] But I will not go with you. You people are very stubborn, {and you make me very angry}. If I go with you, I might destroy you along the way.”

⁴ The people heard this bad news and became very sad. And the people stopped wearing jewelry.

⁵ Why? Because the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the people of Israel, ‘You are a stubborn people. I might destroy you even if I travel with you only a short time. So take off all your jewelry while I decide [332] what to do with you.’”

⁶ So the people of Israel stopped wearing their jewelry at Mount Horeb (Sinai).

⁷ Moses used to take a tent a short way outside the camp. Moses called it “the meeting tent. [333] ” Any person who wanted to ask something from the Lord would go to the meeting tent outside the camp.

⁸ Any time Moses went out to the tent, all the people watched him. The people stood at the entrance of their tents and watched Moses until he entered the meeting tent.

⁹ Whenever Moses went into the tent, the tall cloud would come down and stay at the entrance to the tent. And the Lord would speak with Moses.

¹⁰ So when the people saw the cloud at the entrance of the tent, they would go to the entrance of their own tents and bow down {to worship God}.

¹¹ In this way the Lord spoke to Moses face to face. The Lord spoke to Moses like a man speaks with his friend. After speaking with the Lord, Moses would go back to the camp. But his helper always stayed in the tent. This helper was Joshua son of Nun.

¹² Moses said to the Lord, “You told me to lead these people. But you did not say who you would send with me. You said to me, ‘I know you very well, and I am pleased with you.’

¹³ If I have truly pleased you, then teach me your ways. I want to know you. Then I can continue to please you. Remember that all these are your people.”

¹⁴ The Lord answered, “I myself will go with you. I will lead you. [334] ”

¹⁵ Then Moses said to the Lord, “If you don’t go with us, then don’t send us away from this place.

¹⁶ Also, how will we know if you are pleased with me and these people? If you go with us, then we will know for sure! If you don’t go with us, then I and these people will be no different than any other people on the earth.”

¹⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will do what you ask. I will do this because I am pleased with you and because I know you very well.” [335]

¹⁸ Then Moses said, “Now, please show me your Glory.” [336]

¹⁹ Then the Lord answered, “I will cause my perfect Goodness to go before you. I am the Lord and I will announce my name so that you can hear it. Why? Because I can show my kindness and love to any person I choose.

²⁰ But you can’t see my face. No person can see me and continue to live.

²¹ “There is a rock at a place near me. You can stand on that rock.

²² My Glory [337] will pass by that place. I will put you in a large crack in that rock, and I will cover you with my hand while I pass.

²³ Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back. But you will not see my face.”