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5 And the Lord said to Moses: Say to the children of Israel: Thou are a stiffnecked people; once I shall come up in the midst of thee, and shall destroy thee. Now presently lay aside thy ornaments, that I may know what to do with thee.
In Exodus 3:8, these were people in idolatry that still maintained something of good and truth. (Arcana Coelestia 6860)