9. The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen these people. I know that they are very stubborn people.
10. So now do not stop me. I am so angry with them that I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants a great nation.”
11. But Moses begged the Lord his God. Moses said, “Lord, don’t let your anger destroy your people. You brought these people out of Egypt with your great power and strength.
12. Don’t let the people of Egypt say, ‘The Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt. But he planned to kill them in the mountains and destroy them from the earth.’ So stop being angry. Don’t destroy your people.
13. Remember the men who served you—Abraham, Isaac and Israel. You promised with an oath to them. You said, ‘I will make your descendants as many as the stars in the sky. I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised them. It will be theirs forever.’”
14. So the Lord changed his mind. He did not destroy the people as he had said he might.