Exodus, 24

1. He then said to Moses, 'Come up to Yahweh, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel and bow down at a distance.

1. And he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abi'hu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship afar off.

2. Moses alone will approach Yahweh; the others will not approach, nor will the people come up with him.'

2. Moses alone shall come near to the LORD; but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him."

3. Moses went and told the people all Yahweh's words and all the laws, and all the people answered with one voice, 'All the words Yahweh has spoken we will carry out!'

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

4. Moses put all Yahweh's words into writing, and early next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain, with twelve standing-stones for the twelve tribes of Israel.

4. And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

5. Then he sent certain young Israelites to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice bullocks to Yahweh as communion sacrifices.

5. And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD.

6. Moses then took half the blood and put it into basins, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar.

6. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar.

7. Then, taking the Book of the Covenant, he read it to the listening people, who then said, 'We shall do everything that Yahweh has said; we shall obey.'

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

8. Moses then took the blood and sprinkled it over the people, saying, 'This is the blood of the covenant which Yahweh has made with you, entailing all these stipulations.'

8. And Moses took the blood and threw it upon the people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."

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

9. Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abi'hu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up,

10. and they saw the God of Israel beneath whose feet there was what looked like a sapphire pavement pure as the heavens themselves,

10. and they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.

11. but he did no harm to the Israelite notables; they actually gazed on God and then ate and drank.

11. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.

12. Yahweh said to Moses, 'Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the stone tablets -- the law and the commandment -- which I have written for their instruction.'

12. The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tables of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction."

13. Moses made ready, with Joshua his assistant, and they went up the mountain of God.

13. So Moses rose with his servant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.

14. He said to the elders, 'Wait here for us until we come back to you. You have Aaron and Hur with you; if anyone has any matter to settle, let him go to them.'

14. And he said to the elders, "Tarry here for us, until we come to you again; and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a cause, let him go to them."

15. Moses then went up the mountain. Cloud covered the mountain.

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

16. The glory of Yahweh rested on Mount Sinai and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day Yahweh called to Moses from inside the cloud.

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

17. To the watching Israelites, the glory of Yahweh looked like a devouring fire on the mountain top.

17. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.

18. Moses went right into the cloud and went on up the mountain. Moses stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

18. And Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.