1 ARST Then Yahweh said to Moses.“Come up to me{ on top of this mountain}, you and Aaron and{ his sons} Nadab and Abihu. Also take along seventy of the Israelite elders. You will all worship me at an{ appropriate} distance. BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders—and you are to worship at a distance.
2 ARST Moses, you will come near to me alone. The others must not come near, and the rest of the people must not come up the mountain with you.” BSB BSB: Moses alone shall approach the LORD, but the others must not come near. And the people may not go up with him.”
5 ARST Then he sent some young Israelite men to burn sacrifices to Yahweh and to sacrifice some bulls as offerings to promise friendship with Yahweh. BSB BSB: Then he sent out some young men of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD.
6 ARST Moses took half of the blood of the animals that they slaughtered and put it in bowls. The other half of the blood he threw against the altar. BSB BSB: Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splattered on the altar.
7 ARST Then he loudly read the scroll on which he had written everything that Yahweh and the people were promising each other so all the people could hear it. Then all the people said,“We will do everything that Yahweh has told us to do. We will obey everything.” BSB BSB: Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people, who replied, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”
8 ARST Then Moses took the blood{ that was in the bowls} and threw it on the people. He said,“This is the blood that confirms what Yahweh is agreeing with you— what you just heard and agreed to.” BSB BSB: So Moses took the blood, splattered it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
9 ARST Then Moses and Aaron along with Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy Israelite elders went up{ the mountain}, BSB BSB: Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,
10 ARST and they saw God, the one whom the Israelites worship. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of blue stones called sapphires. They were as clear as the sky is when there are no clouds. BSB BSB: and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.
11 ARST God did not harm those Israelite elders{ even though they saw him}. They saw God, and they ate and drank together. BSB BSB: But God did not lay His hand on the nobles of Israel; they saw Him, and they ate and drank.
12 ARST Then Yahweh said to Moses,“Come up to me on top of this mountain and wait there. I will give you stone slabs, my law, and my commandments, all of which I have written so that you may teach them to the people.” BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay here, so that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”
13 ARST Then Moses started out with his assistant Joshua. He went{ part of the way} up the mountain where God was. BSB BSB: So Moses set out with Joshua his attendant and went up on the mountain of God.
14 ARST Moses told the elders,“Stay here until we return. Do not forget that Aaron and Hur will be with you, so if anyone disputes{ with his neighbor while I am gone}, he can go to them{ and they will judge it}.” BSB BSB: And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are here with you. Whoever has a dispute can go to them.”
15 ARST Then Moses went{ the rest of the way} up the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. BSB BSB: When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it,
16 ARST Yahweh’ s glory came down onto the mountain and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day, Yahweh called to Moses from the middle of the cloud. BSB BSB: and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered it, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud.
17 ARST To the Israelites, Yahweh’ s glory looked like a fire consuming the top of the mountain. BSB BSB: And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop in the eyes of the Israelites.
18 ARST Moses went into the cloud on top of the mountain and was there for 40 days and nights. BSB BSB: Moses entered the cloud as he went up on the mountain, and he remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.