Allah spoke to Musa, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people that you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Ibrahim, to Ishaq, and to Yaqub, saying, ‘I will give it to your seed.’ 2I will send an angel before you; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: 3to a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up with you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you in the way.“
4When the people heard this evil news, they mourned: and no one put on his jewelry.
5Allah said to Musa, “Tell Bani-Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go up into your midst for one moment, I would consume you. Therefore now take off your jewelry from you, that I may know what to do to you.“
6Bani-Israel stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.
7Now Musa used to take the tent and to pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp, and he called it “The tent of meeting.“ It happened that everyone who sought Allah went out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8It happened that when Musa went out to the Tent, that all the people rose up, and stood, everyone at their tent door, and watched Musa, until he had gone into the Tent. 9It happened, when Musa entered into the Tent, that the pillar of cloud descended, stood at the door of the Tent, and spoke with Musa. 10All the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the door of the Tent, and all the people rose up and worshiped, everyone at their tent door. 11Allah spoke to Musa face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. He turned again into the camp, but his servant Yusha bin Nun, a young man, did not depart out of the Tent.
12Musa said to Allah, “Behold, you tell me, ‘Bring up this people:’ and you haven’t let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favour in my sight.’ 13Now therefore, if I have found favour in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you, so that I may find favour in your sight: and consider that this nation is your people.“
14He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.“
15He said to him, “If your presence does not go with me, do not carry us up from here. 16For how would people know that I have found favour in your sight, I and your people? Isn’t it in that you go with us, so that we are separated, I and your people, from all the people who are on the surface of the earth?“
17Allah said to Musa, “I will do this thing also that you have spoken; for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name.“
18He said, “Please show me your glory.“
19He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of Allah before you. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.“[1] 20He said, “You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live.“ 21Allah also said, “Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22It will happen, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; 23then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen.“
[1] 33:19 Quoted in the Injil, Romans 9:15.