1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ 2I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 3Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
4When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. 5For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’ ” 6So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.
The Tent of Meeting
7Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. 11The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
Moses and the Glory of the Lord
12Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
14The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
15Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
17And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
18Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
19And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
21Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
Amri Ya Kuondoka Sinai
133:1 Kut 13:11; Hes 14:23; Ebr 6:13; Mwa 12:7Kisha Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Ondoka mahali hapa, wewe pamoja na hao watu uliowapandisha kutoka Misri, mpande mpaka nchi niliyomwahidi Abrahamu, Isaki na Yakobo kwa kiapo, nikisema, ‘Nitawapa wazao wenu nchi hii.’ 233:2 Kut 14:19; 23:28; Kum 7:22; Yos 24:11Nitamtuma malaika mbele yenu, naye atawafukuza Wakanaani, Waamori, Wahiti, Waperizi, Wahivi na Wayebusi. 333:3 Kut 3:8; 32:9-10; Mdo 7:51; Kum 9:6Pandeni mwende katika nchi itiririkayo maziwa na asali. Lakini mimi sitakwenda pamoja nanyi, kwa sababu ninyi ni watu wenye shingo ngumu, nisije nikawaangamiza njiani.”
433:4 Hes 14:39; Ezr 9:3; Es 4:1; Za 119:53; 2Sam 19:24Watu waliposikia habari hizo za huzuni, wakaanza kuomboleza wala hakuna mtu aliyevaa mapambo yoyote. 533:5 Kut 32:9-10Kwa kuwa Bwana alikuwa amemwambia Mose, “Waambie Waisraeli, ‘Ninyi ni watu wenye shingo ngumu. Kama ningefuatana nanyi hata kwa muda mfupi, ningewaangamiza. Sasa vueni mapambo yenu, nami nitaamua nitakalowatendea.’ ” 6Hivyo Waisraeli wakavua mapambo yao katika Mlima wa Horebu.
Hema La Kukutania
733:7 Kut 27:21; Mwa 25:22; 1Fal 22:5; Kut 29:42-43; 2Sam 21:1Basi Mose alikuwa na desturi ya kuchukua hema na kuliweka wakfu nje ya kambi umbali kiasi, akaliita “Hema la Kukutania.” Kila aliyekuwa akiulizia shauri kwa Bwana, angelikwenda katika Hema la Kukutania nje ya kambi. 833:8 Hes 16:27Wakati wowote Mose alipokwenda kwenye Hema, watu wote waliinuka na kusimama kwenye maingilio ya mahema yao, wakimwangalia Mose mpaka aingie kwenye Hema. 933:9 Kut 13:21; 19:9; Kum 31:15; 1Kor 10:1; Kut 29:42; 31:18; Za 99:7Kila mara Mose alipoingia ndani ya hema, nguzo ya wingu ingeshuka chini na kukaa kwenye ingilio, wakati Mungu akizungumza na Mose. 10Kila mara watu walipoona hiyo nguzo ya wingu ikiwa imesimama kwenye ingilio la hema, wote walisimama wakaabudu, kila mmoja kwenye ingilio la hema lake. 1133:11 Hes 12:8; Kum 5:4; 34:10; Kut 17:9; Mwa 32:30; Kut 24:13Bwana angezungumza na Mose uso kwa uso, kama vile mtu azungumzavyo na rafiki yake. Kisha Mose angerudi kambini, lakini msaidizi wake kijana Yoshua mwana wa Nuni hakuondoka mle Hemani.
Mose Na Utukufu Wa Bwana
1233:12 Kut 3:10; 15:17; Isa 43:1; 45:3; 49:1; Yn 10:14-15; 2Tim 2:19; Mwa 6:8Mose akamwambia Bwana, “Umekuwa ukiniambia, ‘Ongoza watu hawa,’ lakini hujanifahamisha ni nani utakayemtuma pamoja nami. Umesema, ‘Ninakujua wewe kwa jina lako, nawe umepata kibali mbele zangu.’ 1333:13 Za 25:4; 27:11; 51:13; 86:11; 103:7; 143:8; Kut 3:7; Kum 9:26-29; Za 77:15; Yoe 2:17Ikiwa umependezwa nami, nifundishe njia zako ili nipate kukujua, nami nizidi kupata kibali mbele zako. Kumbuka kuwa taifa hili ni watu wako.”
1433:14 Kut 13:21; Kum 4:37; Isa 63:9; Hag 1:13; 2:4; Kum 12:9-10; 25:19; Yos 1:13; 11:23; 21:44; 22:4; 1Fal 8:56; Isa 63:14; Yer 31:2; Mt 11:28; Ebr 4:1-11Bwana akajibu, “Uso wangu utakwenda pamoja nawe, nami nitakupa raha.”
1533:15 Kut 34:9; 2Fal 13:23; 17:18; 23:27; 24:20; Za 51:11; 80:3, 7; Yer 7:15; 52Kisha Mose akamwambia, “Kama Uso wako hauendi pamoja nasi, usituondoe hapa. 1633:16 Kut 34:5; 40:34-35; Hes 9:15; 14:14; Kut 34:10; Law 20:24-26; Hes 23:9; Kum 4:7, 32, 34; 32:9; 33:28Mtu yeyote atajuaje kuwa mimi pamoja na watu wako tumepata kibali mbele zako, usipokwenda pamoja nasi? Ni nini kingine kitakachoweza kututofautisha mimi na watu wako miongoni mwa watu wengine wote walio katika uso wa dunia?”
1733:17 Kut 34:28; Kum 9:18, 25; 10:10; Yak 5:16; Mwa 6:8Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Nitakufanyia jambo lile uliloomba, kwa sababu ninapendezwa nawe, nami ninakujua kwa jina lako.”
1833:18 Kut 16:7; Yn 1:12; 12:41; 1Tim 6:16; Ufu 15:8Kisha Mose akasema, “Basi nionyeshe utukufu wako.”
1933:19 1Fal 19:11; Kut 6:3; 34:5-7; Rum 9:15Ndipo Bwana akasema, “Nitapitisha wema wangu wote mbele yako, nami nitalitangaza Jina langu, Bwana, mbele ya uso wako. Nitamrehemu yeye nimrehemuye, na pia nitamhurumia yeye nimhurumiaye.” 2033:20 Mwa 16:13; Kut 3:6; Kum 5:26; Yn 1:18; Isa 6:5Lakini Mungu akasema, “Hutaweza kuuona uso wangu, kwa kuwa hakuna mtu yeyote awezaye kuniona akaishi.”
21Kisha Bwana akasema, “Kuna mahali karibu nami ambapo unaweza kusimama juu ya mwamba. 2233:22 Mwa 49:24; 1Fal 19:9; Za 27:5; 31:20; 62:7; 91:1; Isa 2:21; Yer 4:29; Isa 49:2; 51:16; Za 91:4Utukufu wangu unapopita, nitakuweka gengeni kwenye mwamba na kukufunika kwa mkono wangu mpaka nitakapokwisha kupita. 23Kisha nitaondoa mkono wangu nawe utaona mgongo wangu; lakini kamwe uso wangu hautaonekana.”
