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, “Come up to me—you, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders, and worship me at a distance.

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 alone may come near to me. The others must not come near, nor may the people come up with him.”

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 went and told the people all of Yahweh's words and decrees. All the people answered with one voice and said, “We will do all the words that Yahweh has said.”

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 wrote down all of Yahweh's words. Early in the morning, Moses built an altar at the foot of the mountain and arranged twelve stone pillars, so that the stones would represent the twelve tribes of Israel.

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 sent some Israelite young men to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice fellowship offerings of oxen to 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 took half of the blood and put it into basins; he sprinkled the other half onto 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.”

He took the book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people. They said, “We will do all that Yahweh has spoken. We will be obedient.”

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 took the blood and sprinkled it onto the people. He said, “This is the blood of the covenant that Yahweh has made with you by giving you this promise with all these words.”

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

Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders 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;

They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was a pavement made of sapphire stone, as clear as the sky itself.

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 lay a hand on the Israelite leaders. They saw God, and they ate and drank.

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.”

Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay there. I will give you the tablets of stone and the law and commandments that I have written, so that you may teach them.”

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

So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua and went up the mountain of 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.”

Moses had said to the elders, “Stay here and wait for us until we come to you. Aaron and Hur are with you. If anyone has a dispute, let him go to them.”

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

So Moses went up the mountain, and the cloud covered it.

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.

Yahweh's glory settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called to Moses from within 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;

The appearance of Yahweh's glory was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the Israelites.

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 entered the cloud and went up the mountain. He was up the mountain for forty days and forty nights.