Study Desk

The Covenant Confirmed

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Come up to the Lord , you and Aaron,^(a) Nadab and Abihu,^(b) and seventy of the elders^(c) of Israel. You are to worship at a distance,

but Moses alone is to approach^(d) the Lord ; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him."

When Moses went and told the people all the Lord 's words and laws,^(e) they responded with one voice, "Everything the Lord has said we will do."^(f)

Moses then wrote^(g) down everything the Lord had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar^(h) at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars⁽ⁱ⁾ representing the twelve tribes of Israel.

Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings^(j) and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings^(k) to the Lord .

Moses^(l) took half of the blood^(m) and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed⁽ⁿ⁾ against the altar.

Then he took the Book of the Covenant^(o) and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey."^(p)

Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people^(q) and said, "This is the blood of the covenant^(r) that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words."

Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders^(s) of Israel went up

and saw^(t) the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli,^(u) as bright blue as the sky.^(v)

But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw^(w) God, and they ate and drank.^(x)

The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone^(y) with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction."

Then Moses set out with Joshua^(z) his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain^(aa) of God.

He said to the elders, "Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur^(ab) are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute^(ac) can go to them."

When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud^(ad) covered it,

and the glory^(ae) of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai.^(af) For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.^(ag)

To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire^(ah) on top of the mountain.

Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty^(ai) days and forty nights.^(aj)