Exodus 24

1 And unto Moses He said, 'Come up unto Jehovah, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and ye have bowed yourselves afar off;'

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 and Moses hath drawn nigh by himself unto Jehovah; and they draw not nigh, and the people go not 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 And Moses cometh in, and recounteth to the people all the words of Jehovah, and all the judgments, and all the people answer — one voice, and say, 'All the words which Jehovah hath spoken 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 And Moses writeth all the words of Jehovah, and riseth early in the morning, and buildeth an altar under the hill, and twelve standing 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 and he sendeth the youths of the sons of Israel, and they cause burnt-offerings to ascend, and sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings to Jehovah — calves.

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 And Moses taketh half of the blood, and putteth in basins, and half of the blood hath he sprinkled on the altar;

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

7 and he taketh the Book of the Covenant, and proclaimeth in the ears of the people, and they say, 'All that which Jehovah hath spoken we do, and obey.'

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 And Moses taketh the blood, and sprinkleth on the people, and saith, 'Lo, the blood of the covenant which Jehovah hath made with you, concerning all these things.'

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 And Moses goeth up, Aaron also, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,

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

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

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

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

12 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Come up unto Me to the mount, and be there, and I give to thee the tables of stone, and the law, and the command, which I have written to direct 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 And Moses riseth — Joshua his minister also — and Moses goeth up unto the mount of God;

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

14 and unto the elders he hath said, 'Abide ye for us in this [place], until that we turn back unto you, and lo, Aaron and Hur [are] with you — he who hath matters doth come nigh unto 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 And Moses goeth up unto the mount, and the cloud covereth the mount;

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

16 and the honour of Jehovah doth tabernacle on mount Sinai, and the cloud covereth it six days, and He calleth unto Moses on the seventh day from 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 And the appearance of the honour of Jehovah [is] as a consuming fire on the top of the mount, before the eyes of the sons of Israel;

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

18 and Moses goeth into the midst of the cloud, and goeth up unto the mount, and Moses is on the mount 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.