1And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Come, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Mitsrayim, to the land of which I swore to Aḇraham, to Yitsḥaq, and to Ya‛aqoḇ, saying, ‘To your seed I give it.’

2“And I shall send My Messenger before you, and I shall drive out the Kena‛anite and the Amorite and the Ḥittite and the Perizzite and the Ḥiwwite and the Yeḇusite,

3to a land flowing with milk and honey. For I do not go up in your midst because you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way.”

4And when the people heard this evil word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments.

5And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Say to the children of Yisra’ĕl, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. Should I go up in your midst for one moment I shall consume you. And now, take off your ornaments, and I shall know what to do to you.’ ”

6So the children of Yisra’ĕl took off their ornaments at Mount Ḥorĕḇ.

7And Mosheh took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the Tent of Meeting. And it came to be that everyone who sought יהוה went out to the Tent of Meeting which was outside the camp.

8And it came to be, whenever Mosheh went out to the Tent, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Mosheh until he entered the Tent.

9And it came to be, when Mosheh entered the Tent, that the column of cloud descended and stood at the door of the Tent, and He spoke with Mosheh.

10And all the people saw the column of cloud standing at the Tent door, and all the people rose and bowed themselves, each one at the door of his tent.

11Thus יהוה spoke to Mosheh face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Yehoshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the Tent.

12And Mosheh said to יהוה, “See, You are saying to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not made known to me whom You would send with me, though You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favour in My eyes.’

13“And now, please, if I have found favour in Your eyes, please show me Your way, and let me know You, so that I find favour in Your eyes. And consider that this nation is Your people.”

14And He said, “My Presence does go, and I shall give you rest.”

15And he said to Him, “If Your Presence is not going, do not lead us up from here.

16“For how then shall it be known that I have found favour in Your eyes, I and Your people, except You go with us? Then we shall be distinguished, I and Your people, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”

17And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Even this word you have spoken I shall do, for you have found favour in My eyes, and I know you by name.”

18Then he said, “Please, show me Your esteem.”

19And He said, “I shall cause all My goodness to pass before you, and I shall proclaim the Name of יהוה before you. And I shall favour him whom I favour, and shall have compassion on him whom I have compassion.”

20But He said, “You are unable to see My face, for no man does see Me and live.”

21And יהוה said, “See, there is a place with Me! And you shall stand on the rock.

22“And it shall be, while My esteem passes by, that I shall put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand while I pass by.

23“Then I shall take away My hand and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”