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The Second Pieces of Stone

¹ "At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Cut out for yourself two pieces of stone like the other ones. Then come up to Me on the mountain, and make a box of wood. ² I will write on the pieces of stone the words that were on the other pieces of stone which you broke. And you will put them in the box.' ³ So I made a box of acacia wood and cut out two pieces of stone like the other ones. Then I went up the mountain with the two stone pieces in my hand. ⁴ The Lord wrote the Ten Laws the same as before on the pieces of stone which He had spoken to you on the mountain from the fire on the day of the meeting. And the Lord gave them to me. ⁵ Then I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the stone pieces in the box I had made. There they are, as the Lord told me."

⁶ (The people of Israel traveled from the wells of the sons of Jaakan to Moserah. Aaron died there and was buried and his son Eleazar took his place as religious leader. ⁷ From there they traveled to Gudgodah. And from Gudgodah they went to Jotbathah, a land of rivers of water. ⁸ At that time the Lord set apart the family of Levi to carry the special box of the Law of the Lord, and to stand before the Lord to work for Him and honor His name to this day. ⁹ So Levi does not have a share of what is given to his brothers. The Lord is his share, just as the Lord your God promised him.)

¹⁰ "Once more I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, like the first time. And the Lord listened to me that time also. The Lord did not destroy you. ¹¹ Then the Lord said to me, ‘Get up. Travel in front of the people, so they may go in and take the land which I promised to give their fathers.'

What God Wants

¹² "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you? He wants you to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him. He wants you to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul. ¹³ He wants you to keep all the Laws of the Lord which I am telling you today for your good. ¹⁴ See, heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it belong to the Lord your God. ¹⁵ The Lord had joy in loving your fathers more than other nations, and you are still His chosen people to this day. ¹⁶ So then, from now on, obey the Lord. Do not be strong-willed any more. ¹⁷ For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords. He is the great and powerful God and is to be honored with fear. He does not show favor, and cannot be bought with money. ¹⁸ He does what is right and fair for the child without parents and the woman whose husband has died. He shows His love for the stranger by giving him food and clothing. ¹⁹ So show your love for the stranger. For you were strangers in the land of Egypt. ²⁰ Fear the Lord your God. Work for Him, hold on to Him, and swear by His name. ²¹ He is your praise and He is your God. You have seen the great and powerful things He has done for you. ²² Your fathers went to Egypt, seventy people in all. And now the Lord your God has made you as many as the stars of heaven.