1And the LORD said to Moses, "Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, 'To your seed I will give it. ' 2And I will send an angel before you. And I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; 3To a land that is flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in the midst of you, for you are a stiffnecked people, lest I consume you in the way."

4And the people heard these evil tidings, and they mourned, and put no ornaments on themselves. 5And the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the children of Israel, 'You are a stiffnecked people. If I will go up into the midst of you, in a moment I will consume you. And now put off your ornaments from you, that I may know what to do with you. ' " 6And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.

7And Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the tent of meeting. And it came to pass, everyone who sought the LORD went out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8And it came to pass as Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose up, and each man stood at his tent door and gazed at Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9And it came to pass as Moses went into the tent, the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the tent, and the LORD spoke with Moses. 10And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tent door. And all the people rose up and worshiped, each man at his tent door. 11And the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he returned again to the camp. But his servant, Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tent.

12And Moses said to the LORD, "Behold, You say to me, 'Bring up this people. ' And You have not told me whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight. ' 13Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found grace in Your sight, make me see now Your way, that I may know You, that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people." 14And He said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." 15And he said to Him, "If Your presence does not go with me, do not carry us up from here; 16For how shall it be known that I and Your people have found grace in Your sight? Is it not in that You go with us? So we shall be separated, I and Your people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth."

17And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do this thing also that you have spoken, for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name." 18And he said, "I beseech You, show me Your glory." 19And He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will have mercy on whom I will have mercy." 20And He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live." 21And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand upon a rock. 22And it will be, while My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23And I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back parts. But My face shall not be seen."