THE TENT OUTSIDE THE CAMP

33 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go up from here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: I will give it to your offspring.o 2 I will send an angel ahead of you and will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hethites, Perizzites,C Hivites, and Jebusites.p 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go up with you because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.”q 4 When the people heard this bad news, they mourned and didn’t put on their jewelry.a

5 For the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: You are a stiff-necked people. If I went up 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 So the Israelites remained stripped of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.