The Command to Leave Sinai (Deuteronomy 1:1–8)
1 DBY And Jehovah said to Moses, Depart, go up hence, thou and the people that thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, into the land that I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it, BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of the land of Egypt, and go to the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’
2 DBY (and I will send an angel before thee, and dispossess the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite,) BSB BSB: And I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
3 DBY into a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in the midst of thee, for thou art a stiff-necked people, — lest I consume thee on the way. BSB BSB: Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.”
4 DBY And when the people heard this evil word, they mourned; and no man put on his ornaments. BSB BSB: When the people heard this bad news, they went into mourning, and no one put on any of his jewelry.
5 DBY Now Jehovah had said to Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiff-necked people: in one moment I will come up into the midst of thee and will consume thee. And now put off thine ornaments from thee, and I will know what I will do unto thee. BSB BSB: For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I should go with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.’”
6 DBY And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments at mount Horeb. BSB BSB: So the Israelites stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.
The Tent of Meeting 7 DBY And Moses took the tent, and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the Tent of meeting. And it came to pass that every one who sought Jehovah went out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. BSB BSB: Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it at a distance outside the camp. He called it the Tent of Meeting, and anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.
8 DBY And it came to pass, when Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose up, and stood every man at the entrance of his tent, and they looked after Moses until he entered into the tent. BSB BSB: Then, whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would stand at the entrances to their own tents and watch Moses until he entered the tent.
9 DBY And it came to pass when Moses entered into the tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the entrance of the tent, and Jehovah talked with Moses. BSB BSB: As Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance, and the LORD would speak with Moses.
10 DBY And all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent; and all the people rose and worshipped, every man at the entrance of his tent. BSB BSB: When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they would stand up and worship, each one at the entrance to his own tent.
11 DBY And Jehovah spoke with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. And he returned to the camp; but his attendant, Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, departed not from within the tent. BSB BSB: Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent.
The Promise of God’s Presence 12 DBY And Moses said to Jehovah, Behold, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people; but thou dost not let me know whom thou wilt send with me; and thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in mine eyes. BSB BSB: Then Moses said to the LORD, “Look, You have been telling me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have found favor in My sight.’
13 DBY And now, if indeed I have found grace in thine eyes, make me now to know thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thine eyes; and consider that this nation is thy people! BSB BSB: Now if indeed I have found favor in Your sight, please let me know Your ways, that I may know You and find favor in Your sight. Remember that this nation is Your people.”
14 DBY And he said, My presence shall go, and I will give thee rest. BSB BSB: And the LORD answered, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
15 DBY And he said to him, If thy presence do not go, bring us not up hence. BSB BSB: “If Your Presence does not go with us,” Moses replied, “do not lead us up from here.
16 DBY And how shall it be known then that I have found grace in thine eyes — I and thy people? Is it not by thy going with us? so shall we be distinguished, I and thy people, from every people that is on the face of the earth. BSB BSB: For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight, unless You go with us? How else will we be distinguished from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
17 DBY And Jehovah said to Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast said; for thou hast found grace in mine eyes, and I know thee by name. BSB BSB: So the LORD said to Moses, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.”
18 DBY And he said, Let me, I pray thee, see thy glory. BSB BSB: Then Moses said, “Please show me Your glory.”
19 DBY And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thy face, and I will proclaim the name of Jehovah before thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. BSB BSB: “I will cause all My goodness to pass before you,” the LORD replied, “and I will proclaim My name—the LORD—in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
20 DBY And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for Man shall not see me, and live. BSB BSB: But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”
21 DBY And Jehovah said, Behold, there is a place by me: there shalt thou stand on the rock. BSB BSB: The LORD continued, “There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock,
22 DBY And it shall come to pass, when my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand, until I have passed by. BSB BSB: and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.
23 DBY And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see me from behind; but my face shall not be seen. BSB BSB: Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.”