New Stone Tablets (Exodus 34:1–9)
1 CPDV “At that time, the Lord said to me: ‘Hew for yourself two tablets of stone, like those that were before, and ascend to me on the mountain. And you shall make an ark of wood. BSB BSB: At that time the LORD said to me, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the originals, come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood.
2 CPDV And I will write on the tablets the words which were on those that you broke before, and you shall place them in the ark.’ BSB BSB: And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you are to place them in the ark.”
3 CPDV And so, I made an ark of setim wood. And when I had hewn two tablets of stone like the former, I ascended onto the mountain, having them in my hands. BSB BSB: So I made an ark of acacia wood, chiseled out two stone tablets like the originals, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hands.
4 CPDV And he wrote on the tablets, according to that which he had written before, the ten words, which the Lord spoke to you on the mountain from the midst of fire, when the people were assembled. And he gave them to me. BSB BSB: And the LORD wrote on the tablets what had been written previously, the Ten Commandments that He had spoken to you on the mountain out of the fire on the day of the assembly. The LORD gave them to me,
5 CPDV And returning from the mountain, I descended and placed the tablets in the ark, which I had made, and they are still there even now, just as the Lord instructed me. BSB BSB: and I went back down the mountain and placed the tablets in the ark I had made, as the LORD had commanded me; and there they have remained.
6 CPDV Then the sons of Israel moved their camp, from Beeroth among the sons of Jaakan, into Moserah, where Aaron died and was buried, and where his son Eleazar was installed in the priesthood in his place. BSB BSB: The Israelites traveled from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah, where Aaron died and was buried, and Eleazar his son succeeded him as priest.
7 CPDV From there, they went into Gudgodah. From that place, they set out and camped at Jotbathah, in a land of waters and torrents. BSB BSB: From there they traveled to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with streams of water.
8 CPDV At that time, he separated the tribe of Levi, so that he would carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and stand before him in the ministry, and speak blessings in his name, even to the present day. BSB BSB: At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as they do to this day.
9 CPDV As a result, Levi has no portion or possession with his brothers. For the Lord himself is his possession, just as the Lord your God promised him. BSB BSB: That is why Levi has no portion or inheritance among his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God promised him.
10 CPDV Then I stood on the mountain, as before, for forty days and nights. And the Lord heeded me at this time also, and he was not willing to destroy you. BSB BSB: I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, like the first time, and that time the LORD again listened to me and agreed not to destroy you.
11 CPDV And he said to me: ‘Go forth and walk before the people, so that they may enter and possess the land, which I swore to their fathers that I would deliver to them.’ BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to me, “Get up. Continue your journey ahead of the people, that they may enter and possess the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.”
A Call to Obedience (Joshua 24:14–28)
12 CPDV And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only that you fear the Lord your God, and walk in his ways, and love him, and serve the Lord your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul, BSB BSB: And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
13 CPDV and that you keep the commandments of the Lord, and his ceremonies, which I am instructing to you this day, so that it may be well with you. BSB BSB: and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD that I am giving you this day for your own good?
14 CPDV Lo, heaven belongs to the Lord your God, and the heaven of heaven, and the earth, and all the things that are within these. BSB BSB: Behold, to the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, and the earth and everything in it.
15 CPDV Now the Lord was closely joined to your fathers, and he loved them, and he chose their offspring after them, that is, you yourselves, out of all the nations, just as is being proven today. BSB BSB: Yet the LORD has set His affection on your fathers and loved them. And He has chosen you, their descendants after them, above all the peoples, even to this day.
17 CPDV For the Lord your God himself is the God of gods, and the Lord of lords, a God great and powerful and terrible, who favors no person and accepts no bribe. BSB BSB: For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.
19 CPDV Therefore, you also should love sojourners, for you also were new arrivals in the land of Egypt. BSB BSB: So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
20 CPDV You shall fear the Lord your God, and him alone shall you serve. You shall cling to him, and you shall swear by his name. BSB BSB: You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name.
21 CPDV He is your praise and your God. He has done for you these great and terrible things, which your eyes have seen. BSB BSB: He is your praise and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome wonders that your eyes have seen.
22 CPDV As seventy souls, your fathers descended into Egypt. And now, behold, the Lord your God has multiplied you to be like the stars of heaven.” BSB BSB: Your fathers went down to Egypt, seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.