Exodus 24

1 The Lord told Moses, “Come up to the Lord—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders. You are to worship at a distance.

And he said to Moses, Go up to Jehovah, thou and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship afar off.

2 Only Moses may approach the Lord—the others must not come near. The people may not go up the mountain with him.”

And let Moses alone come near Jehovah; but they shall not come near; neither shall the people go up with him.

3 Moses went and told the people all the Lord's instructions and regulations. They all responded together: “We will do everything the Lord says!”

And Moses came and told the people all the words of Jehovah, and all the judgments; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words that Jehovah has said will we do!

4 Moses wrote down everything the Lord had said. He got up early the following morning and built an altar at the bottom of the mountain, and set up twelve pillars for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

And Moses wrote all the words of Jehovah, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

5 Then he sent out some young Israelite men who went and offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord.

And he sent the youths of the children of Israel, and they offered up burnt-offerings, and sacrificed sacrifices of peace-offering of bullocks to Jehovah.

6 Moses put half of the blood into bowls, and sprinkled the other half on the altar.

And Moses took half the blood, and put [it] in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.

7 Then he picked up the Book of the Agreement and read it to the people. They replied, “We will do everything the Lord says. We will obey.”

And he took the book of the covenant, and read [it] in the ears of the people; and they said, All that Jehovah has said will we do, and obey!

8 So Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the agreement that the Lord has made with you following these terms.”

And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled [it] on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant that Jehovah has made with you concerning all these words.

9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders climbed up the mountain,

And Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up;

10 and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a tiled pavement made of lapis lazuli, as clear blue as the sky itself.

and they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were work of transparent sapphire, and as it were the form of heaven for clearness.

11 But God did not harm the leaders of Israel—they saw him, and they ate and drank a sacred meal.

And on the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: they saw God, and ate and drank.

12 Then the Lord told Moses, “Come up the mountain to me, and stay here, so I can give you the stone tablets, with the instructions and commands I have written for them to learn.”

And Jehovah said to Moses, Come up to me into the mountain, and be there; and I will give thee the tables of stone, and the law, and the commandment that I have written, for their instruction.

13 So Moses left with Joshua his attendant and climbed up the mountain of God.

And Moses rose up, and Joshua his attendant; and Moses went up to the mountain of God.

14 He told the elders, “Stay here and wait for us to return. Aaron and Hur are with you. If anyone has a problem, they can talk with them.”

And he said to the elders, Wait here for us, until we return to you; and behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matter, let him come before them.

15 As Moses climbed up on the mountain, the cloud covered it

And Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.

16 The Lord's glory came down on Mount Sinai, covering it for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud.

And the glory of Jehovah abode on mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

17 To the Israelites the Lord's glory looked like a burning fire on the top of the mountain.

And the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain, before the eyes of the children of Israel.

18 Moses went into the cloud as he climbed up on the mountain, and he stayed on the mountain for forty days and nights.

And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and ascended the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.