Exodus 24

1 He said to Moses, "Come up to YHWH, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship from a distance.

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.

2 Moses alone shall come near to God, but they shall not come near, neither shall the people go up with him."

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

3 Moses came and told the people all the words of God, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, "All the words which YHWH has spoken will we do."

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

4 Moses wrote all the words of YHWH, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.

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.

5 He sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of cattle to God.

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

6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.

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

7 He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, "All that YHWH has spoken will we do, and be obedient."

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.”

8 Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you concerning all these words."

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.”

9 Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up.

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

10 They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was like a paved work of sapphire stone, like the skies for clearness.

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.

11 He did not lay his hand on the nobles of the children of Israel. They saw God, and ate and drank.

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

12 YHWH said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and the commands that I have written, that you may teach them."

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.”

13 Moses rose up with Joshua, his servant, and Moses went up onto God's Mountain.

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

14 He said to the elders, "Wait here for us, until we come again to you. Look, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever is involved in a dispute can go to them."

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.”

15 Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.

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

16 The glory of God settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. The seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

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.

17 The appearance of the glory of YHWH was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.

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

18 Moses entered into the midst of the cloud, and went up on the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

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