Exodus 24

1 And He said to Moses, “Come up to YHWH, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy from [the] elderly of Israel, and you have bowed yourselves far off”;

Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Come to me, up [on top of this mountain], you and Aaron and [his sons] Nadab and Abihu. Also [take along] 70 of the Israeli elders/leaders. While you are still some distance [from the top of the mountain], prostrate yourselves [on the ground] and worship me.

2 and Moses has drawn near to YHWH by himself; and they do not draw near, and the people do not go up with him.

Moses, [I will allow] you alone to come near to me. The others must not come near, and the [rest of the] people must not come up the mountain.”

3 And Moses comes in, and recounts to the people all the words of YHWH, and all the judgments, and all the people answer [with] one voice, and say, “All the words which YHWH has spoken we do.”

Moses/I went and told the people everything that Yahweh had said and all that he had commanded. The people all replied together, saying, “We will do everything that Yahweh has told us [to do].”

4 And Moses writes all the words of YHWH, and rises early in the morning, and builds an altar under the hill, and twelve standing pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel;

Then Moses/I wrote down everything that Yahweh had commanded. Early the next morning Moses/I built a [stone] altar. He/I also set up twelve stones, one for each of the Israeli tribes.

5 and he sends the youths of the sons of Israel, and they cause burnt-offerings to ascend, and sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings to YHWH—calves.

He/I also selected some young men. They burned sacrifices to Yahweh and they also sacrificed some cattle [that they did not burn completely], for the purpose of maintaining fellowship with Yahweh.

6 And Moses takes half of the blood and puts [it] in basins, and he has sprinkled half of the blood on the altar;

Moses/I took half of the blood of the animals that were slaughtered and put it in bowls. The other half of the blood [he/I] threw/splashed against the altar.

7 and he takes the Scroll of the Covenant, and proclaims [it] in the ears of the people, and they say, “All that which YHWH has spoken we do, and we obey.”

Then he/I took the scroll on which he/I had written [everything that Yahweh had commanded in] the agreement that he had made, and he/I read it [aloud], while all the people were listening. Then all the people said, “We will do all that Yahweh has told us to do. We will obey [everything].”

8 And Moses takes the blood and sprinkles [it] on the people, and says, “Behold, the blood of the covenant which YHWH has made with you, concerning all these things.”

Then Moses/I took the blood [that was in the bowls] and threw/splashed it on the people. He/I said, “This is the blood [that (confirms/puts into effect)] the agreement that Yahweh made with you when he gave you all these commands.”

9 And Moses goes up, Aaron also, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy from [the] elderly of Israel,

Then Moses/I, along with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the 70 Israeli elders/leaders, went up [the mountain],

10 and they see the God of Israel, and under His feet [is] as the work of a pavement of sapphire, and as the substance of the heavens for purity;

and they/we saw God, the one whom the Israeli people worship. Under his feet was something like a pavement [made of expensive blue stones called] sapphires. They were as clear as the sky is [when there are no clouds].

11 and He has not put forth His hand to those of the sons of Israel who are near, and they see God, and eat and drink.

God did not harm [MTY] those Israeli elders/leaders [because of their having seen him]. They saw God, and they ate and drank together! [Then we all went back down the mountain].

12 And YHWH says to Moses, “Come up to Me [on] the mountain and be there, and I give to you the tablets of stone, and the Law, and the command, which I have written to direct them.”

Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Come up to me [again] on [top of this] mountain. While you are here, I will give you [two] stone slabs on which I have written all the laws [DOU] that I have given to you to instruct/teach [the people].”

13 And Moses rises—his minister Joshua also—and Moses goes up to the mountain of God;

So Moses/I told the elders, “Stay here [with the other people] until we return! Do not forget that Aaron and Hur will be with you. So if anyone has a dispute [while I am gone], he can go to those two men.” Then Moses/I went with his/my servant Joshua [part of the way] up the mountain that [was dedicated to] God.

14 and he has said to the elderly, “Abide for us in this [place] until we return to you, and behold, Aaron and Hur [are] with you—he who has matters comes near to them.”

15 And Moses goes up to the mountain, and the cloud covers the mountain;

Then Moses/I went the [rest of the way] up the mountain. A cloud covered the mountain.

16 and the glory of YHWH dwells on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covers it [for] six days, and He calls to Moses on the seventh day from the midst of the cloud.

The (glory/brilliant light) of Yahweh came down on the mountain and covered it for six days. On the seventh day, Yahweh called to Moses/me from the middle of the cloud.

17 And the appearance of the glory of YHWH [is] as a consuming fire on the top of the mountain, before the eyes of the sons of Israel;

When the Israeli people [looked at] the top of the mountain, the glory of Yahweh was like a big fire that was burning [there].

18 and Moses goes into the midst of the cloud, and goes up to the mountain, and Moses is on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Moses/I went into the cloud on top of the mountain. He/I was there for 40 days and nights.