Exo 24 | LSB | STEP | Then He said to Moses, “Come up to Yahweh, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you all shall worship at a distance.

Exodus 24

Yahweh Cuts His Covenant with Israel

1 Then He said to Moses, “Come up to Yahweh, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you all shall worship at a distance. 2 Moses alone, however, shall come near to Yahweh, but they shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”

3 Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of Yahweh and all the judgments; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which Yahweh has spoken we will do!” 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of Yahweh. Then he arose early in the morning and built an altar ^{▼▼Lit under}at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to Yahweh. 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he ^{▼▼Lit threw, splashed}sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” 8 So Moses took the blood and ^{▼▼Lit threw, splashed}sprinkled it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which Yahweh has cut with you ^{▼▼Lit on all}in accordance with all these words.”

9 Then Moses went up ^{▼▼Lit and}with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet ^{▼▼Lit like a pavement}there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, ^{▼▼Lit and as}as clear as the sky itself. 11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank.

12 Now Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and ^{▼▼Lit be}remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets ^{▼▼Lit and}with the ^{▼▼Or instruction, cf. 24:12b}law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses arose ^{▼▼Lit and}with Joshua his ^{▼▼Or minister}attendant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. 14 But to the elders he said, “Remain here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever ^{▼▼Lit is a master of matters}has a legal matter, let him approach them.” 15 Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 And the glory of Yahweh dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. 17 And the appearance of the glory of Yahweh was like a consuming fire on the mountain top, in the eyes of the sons of Israel. 18 Then Moses entered the midst of the cloud ^{▼▼Lit and}as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.