Yahweh Cuts His Covenant with Israel

¹Then He said to Moses, “Come up to Yahweh, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you all shall worship at a distance.

²Moses alone, however, shall come near to Yahweh, but they shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”

³Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of Yahweh and all the judgments; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which Yahweh has spoken we will do!”

⁴And Moses wrote down all the words of Yahweh. Then he arose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.[#24:4 Lit under]

⁵And he sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to Yahweh.

⁶And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.[#24:6 Lit threw , splashed]

⁷Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”

⁸So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which Yahweh has cut with you in accordance with all these words.”[#24:8 Lit threw , splashed; #24:8 Lit on all]

⁹Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,[#24:9 Lit and]

¹⁰and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.[#24:10 Lit like a pavement; #24:10 Lit and as]

¹¹Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank.

¹²Now Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.”[#24:12 Lit be; #24:12 Lit and; #24:12 Or instruction , cf. 24:12b]

¹³So Moses arose with Joshua his attendant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.[#24:13 Lit and; #24:13 Or minister]

¹⁴But to the elders he said, “Remain here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them.”[#24:14 Lit is a master of matters]

¹⁵Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.

¹⁶And the glory of Yahweh dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.

¹⁷And the appearance of the glory of Yahweh was like a consuming fire on the mountain top, in the eyes of the sons of Israel.

¹⁸Then Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.[#24:18 Lit and]