1. Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Leave this place. You and the people you brought up out of Egypt must leave it. Go up to the land I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I said to them, 'I will give it to your children after you.'
2. I will send an angel ahead of you. I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
3. "Go up to the land that has plenty of milk and honey. But I will not go with you. You are stubborn. I might destroy you on the way."
4. When the people heard those painful words, they became sad and began to sob. No one put on any jewelry.
5. The Lord had said to Moses, "Tell the people of Israel, 'You are stubborn. If I went with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your jewelry. Then I will decide what to do with you.' "
6. So the people took off their jewelry at Mount Horeb.
7. Moses used to take a tent and set it up far outside the camp. He called it the "tent of meeting." Anyone who wanted to ask the Lord a question would go to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp.
8. When Moses would go out to the tent, all of the people would get up and stand at the entrances to their tents. They would watch Moses until he entered the tent.