Jethro Visits Moses
1Now Jethro,a the priest of Midianb and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.c
2After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah,d his father-in-law Jethro received her 3and her two sons.e One son was named Gershom,1 for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”;f 4and the other was named Eliezer,2g for he said, “My father’s God was my helper;h he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountaini of God. 6Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed downj and kissedk him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. 8Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardshipsl they had met along the way and how the LORD had savedm them.
9Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good thingsn the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10He said, “Praise be to the LORD,o who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods,p for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”q 12Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law,r brought a burnt offerings and other sacrificest to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a mealu with Moses’ father-in-law in the presencev of God.
13The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
15Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.w 16Whenever they have a dispute,x it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”y
17Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.z 19Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you.a You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputesb to him. 20Teach them his decrees and instructions,c and show them the way they are to lived and how they are to behave.e 21But select capable menf from all the people—men who fearg God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gainh—and appoint them as officialsi over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult casej to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will sharek it with you. 23If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leadersl of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.m 26They served as judgesn for the people at all times. The difficult caseso they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.p
27Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.q
At Mount Sinai
1On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypta—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai.b 2After they set out from Rephidim,c they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.d
3Then Moses went up to God,e and the LORD calledf to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt,g and how I carried you on eagles’ wingsh and brought you to myself.i 5Now if you obey me fullyj and keep my covenant,k then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.l Although the whole earthm is mine, 6you1 will be for me a kingdom of priestsn and a holy nation.’o These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
7So Moses went back and summoned the eldersp of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak.q 8The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.”r So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.
9The LORD said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud,s so that the people will hear me speakingt with you and will always put their trustu in you.” Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.
10And the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecratev them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothesw 11and be ready by the third day,x because on that day the LORD will come downy on Mount Sinaiz in the sight of all the people. 12Put limitsa for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13They are to be stonedb or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s hornc sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”d
14After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.e 15Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstainf from sexual relations.”
16On the morning of the third day there was thunderg and lightning, with a thick cloudh over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.i Everyone in the camp trembled.j 17Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.k 18Mount Sinai was covered with smoke,l because the LORD descended on it in fire.m The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,n and the whole mountain2 trembledo violently. 19As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voicep of God answeredq him.3
20The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinair and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to sees the LORD and many of them perish.t 22Even the priests, who approachu the LORD, must consecratev themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.”w
23Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai,x because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limitsy around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’ ”
24The LORD replied, “Go down and bring Aaronz up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the LORD, or he will break out against them.”a
25So Moses went down to the people and told them.
The Ten Commandments
20:1-17pp — Dt 5:6–21
1And God spokea all these words:b
2“I am the LORD your God,c who brought you outd of Egypt,e out of the land of slavery.f
3“You shall have no other gods before1 me.g
4“You shall not make for yourself an imageh in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5You shall not bow down to them or worshipi them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,j punishing the children for the sin of the parentsk to the third and fourth generationl of those who hate me, 6but showing love to a thousandm generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.n
8“Remember the Sabbatho day by keeping it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and do all your work,p 10but the seventh day is a sabbathq to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth,r the sea, and all that is in them, but he resteds on the seventh day.t Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12“Honor your father and your mother,u so that you may live longv in the landw the LORD your God is giving you.
14“You shall not commit adultery.y
16“You shall not give false testimonya against your neighbor.b
17“You shall not covetc your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
18When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpetd and saw the mountain in smoke,e they trembled with fear.f They stayed at a distance 19and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speakg to us or we will die.”h
20Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.i God has come to testj you, so that the feark of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”l
21The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darknessm where God was.
Idols and Altars
22Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:n 23Do not make any gods to be alongside me;o do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.p
24“ ‘Make an altarq of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offeringsr and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my names to be honored, I will come to you and blesst you. 25If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a toolu on it. 26And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private partsv may be exposed.’
1“These are the lawsa you are to set before them:
Hebrew Servants
21:2-6pp — Dt 15:12–18
21:2-11Ref — Lev 25:39–55
2“If you buy a Hebrew servant,b he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free,c without paying anything. 3If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. 4If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
5“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’d 6then his master must take him before the judges.1e He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and piercef his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.g
7“If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do. 8If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself,2 he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her. 9If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter. 10If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.h 11If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.
Personal Injuries
12“Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death.i 13However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a placej I will designate. 14But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately,k that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.l
15“Anyone who attacks3 their father or mother is to be put to death.
16“Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death,m whether the victim has been soldn or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.
17“Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.o
18“If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist4 and the victim does not die but is confined to bed, 19the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and walk around outside with a staff; however, the guilty party must pay the injured person for any loss of time and see that the victim is completely healed.
20“Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.p
22“If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely5 but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demandsq and the court allows. 23But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life,r 24eye for eye, tooth for tooth,s hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
26“An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. 27And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.
28“If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death,t and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. 29If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned upu and it kills a man or woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death. 30However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded.v 31This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter. 32If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels6w of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.
33“If anyone uncovers a pitx or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34the one who opened the pit must pay the owner for the loss and take the dead animal in exchange.
35“If anyone’s bull injures someone else’s bull and it dies, the two parties are to sell the live one and divide both the money and the dead animal equally. 36However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up,y the owner must pay, animal for animal, and take the dead animal in exchange.
Protection of Property
1“Whoever steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it must pay backa five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.
2“If a thief is caught breaking inb at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed;c 3but if it happens after sunrise, the defender is guilty of bloodshed.
“Anyone who steals must certainly make restitution,d but if they have nothing, they must be solde to pay for their theft. 4If the stolen animal is found alive in their possessionf—whether ox or donkey or sheep—they must pay back double.g
5“If anyone grazes their livestock in a field or vineyard and lets them stray and they graze in someone else’s field, the offender must make restitutionh from the best of their own field or vineyard.
6“If a fire breaks out and spreads into thornbushes so that it burns shocksi of grain or standing grain or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.j
7“If anyone gives a neighbor silver or goods for safekeepingk and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double.l 8But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges,m and they must2 determine whether the owner of the house has laid hands on the other person’s property. 9In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, ‘This is mine,’ both parties are to bring their cases before the judges.3n The one whom the judges declare4 guilty must pay back double to the other.
10“If anyone gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep or any other animal to their neighbor for safekeepingo and it dies or is injured or is taken away while no one is looking, 11the issue between them will be settled by the taking of an oathp before the LORD that the neighbor did not lay hands on the other person’s property. The owner is to accept this, and no restitution is required. 12But if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, restitutionq must be made to the owner. 13If it was torn to pieces by a wild animal, the neighbor shall bring in the remains as evidence and shall not be required to pay for the torn animal.r
14“If anyone borrows an animal from their neighbor and it is injured or dies while the owner is not present, they must make restitution.s 15But if the owner is with the animal, the borrower will not have to pay. If the animal was hired, the money paid for the hire covers the loss.t
Social Responsibility
16“If a man seduces a virginu who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price,v and she shall be his wife. 17If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins.
18“Do not allow a sorceressw to live.
19“Anyone who has sexual relations with an animalx is to be put to death.
20“Whoever sacrifices to any gody other than the LORD must be destroyed.5z
21“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner,a for you were foreignersb in Egypt.
22“Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless.c 23If you do and they cry outd to me, I will certainly hear their cry.e 24My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.f
25“If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.g 26If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge,h return it by sunset, 27because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in?i When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.j
28“Do not blaspheme God6k or cursel the ruler of your people.m
29“Do not hold back offeringsn from your granaries or your vats.7
“You must give me the firstborn of your sons.o 30Do the same with your cattle and your sheep.p Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.q
31“You are to be my holy people.r So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts;s throw it to the dogs.
Laws of Justice and Mercy
1“Do not spread false reports.a Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.b
2“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justicec by siding with the crowd,d 3and do not show favoritisme to a poor person in a lawsuit.
4“If you come across your enemy’sf ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.g 5If you see the donkeyh of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.
6“Do not deny justicei to your poor people in their lawsuits. 7Have nothing to do with a false chargej and do not put an innocentk or honest person to death,l for I will not acquit the guilty.m
8“Do not accept a bribe,n for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.
9“Do not oppress a foreigner;o you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.
Sabbath Laws
10“For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, 11but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused.p Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.
12“Six days do your work,q but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.r
13“Be carefuls to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods;t do not let them be heard on your lips.u
The Three Annual Festivals
14“Three timesv a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.
15“Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread;w for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv,x for in that month you came out of Egypt.
“No one is to appear before me empty-handed.y
16“Celebrate the Festival of Harvestz with the firstfruitsa of the crops you sow in your field.
“Celebrate the Festival of Ingatheringb at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.c
17“Three timesd a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD.
18“Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast.e
“The fat of my festival offerings must not be kept until morning.f
19“Bring the best of the firstfruitsg of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.
“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.h
God’s Angel to Prepare the Way
20“See, I am sending an angeli ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.j 21Pay attention to him and listenk to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgivel your rebellion,m since my Namen is in him. 22If you listen carefully to what he says and doo all that I say, I will be an enemyp to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. 23My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites,q and I will wipe them out. 24Do not bow down before their gods or worshipr them or follow their practices.s You must demolisht them and break their sacred stonesu to pieces. 25Worship the LORD your God,v and his blessingw will be on your food and water. I will take away sicknessx from among you, 26and none will miscarry or be barreny in your land. I will give you a full life span.z
27“I will send my terrora ahead of you and throw into confusionb every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.c 28I will send the hornetd ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittitese out of your way. 29But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animalsf too numerous for you. 30Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possessiong of the land.
31“I will establish your borders from the Red Sea1 to the Mediterranean Sea,2 and from the desert to the Euphrates River.h I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them outi before you. 32Do not make a covenantj with them or with their gods. 33Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snarek to you.”
The Covenant Confirmed
1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron,a Nadab and Abihu,b and seventy of the eldersc of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, 2but Moses alone is to approachd the LORD; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.”
3When 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 4Moses then wroteg down everything the LORD had said.
He got up early the next morning and built an altarh at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillarsi representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offeringsj and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offeringsk to the LORD. 6Mosesl took half of the bloodm and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashedn against the altar. 7Then he took the Book of the Covenanto and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey.”p
8Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the peopleq and said, “This is the blood of the covenantr that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
9Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elderss of Israel went up 10and sawt the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli,u as bright blue as the sky.v 11But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saww God, and they ate and drank.x
12The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stoney with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”
13Then Moses set out with Joshuaz his aide, and Moses went up on the mountaina of God. 14He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hurb are with you, and anyone involved in a disputec can go to them.”
15When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloudd covered it, 16and the glorye of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai.f For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud.g 17To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fireh on top of the mountain. 18Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain fortyi days and forty nights.j
Offerings for the Tabernacle
25:1-7pp — Ex 35:4–9
1The LORD said to Moses, 2“Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart promptsa them to give. 3These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; 4blue, purple and scarlet yarnb and fine linen; goat hair; 5ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather1;c acacia wood;d 6olive oile for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;f 7and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephodg and breastpiece.h
8“Then have them make a sanctuaryi for me, and I will dwellj among them. 9Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the patternk I will show you.
The Ark
25:10-20pp — Ex 37:1–9
10“Have them make an ark2l of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.3 11Overlaym it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. 12Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two ringsn on one side and two rings on the other. 13Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.o 14Insert the polesp into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. 15The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed.q 16Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law,r which I will give you.
17“Make an atonement covers of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18And make two cherubimt out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 20The cherubimu are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowingv the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. 21Place the cover on top of the arkw and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant lawx that I will give you. 22There, above the cover between the two cherubimy that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meetz with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.a Illustration: Tabernacle Furnishings
The Table
25:23-29pp — Ex 37:10–16
23“Make a tableb of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.4 24Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. 25Also make around it a rim a handbreadth5 wide and put a gold molding on the rim. 26Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. 27The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. 28Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with goldc and carry the table with them. 29And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings.d 30Put the bread of the Presencee on this table to be before me at all times.
The Lampstand
25:31-39pp — Ex 37:17–24
31“Make a lampstandf of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. 32Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. 33Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. 34And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. 35One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. 36The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.g
37“Then make its seven lampsh and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. 38Its wick trimmers and traysi are to be of pure gold. 39A talent6 of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. 40See that you make them according to the patternj shown you on the mountain.
The Tabernacle
26:1-37pp — Ex 36:8–38
1“Make the tabernaclea with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubimb woven into them by a skilled worker. 2All the curtains are to be the same sizec—twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide.1 3Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five. 4Make loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and do the same with the end curtain in the other set. 5Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. 6Then make fifty gold clasps and use them to fasten the curtains together so that the tabernacle is a unit.d Illustration: The Tabernacle
7“Make curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven altogether. 8All eleven curtains are to be the same sizee—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide.2 9Join five of the curtains together into one set and the other six into another set. Fold the sixth curtain double at the front of the tent. 10Make fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set and also along the edge of the end curtain in the other set. 11Then make fifty bronze clasps and put them in the loops to fasten the tent together as a unit.f 12As for the additional length of the tent curtains, the half curtain that is left over is to hang down at the rear of the tabernacle. 13The tent curtains will be a cubit3 longer on both sides; what is left will hang over the sides of the tabernacle so as to cover it. 14Make for the tent a coveringg of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of the other durable leather.4h
15“Make upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. 16Each frame is to be ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide,5 17with two projections set parallel to each other. Make all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. 18Make twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle 19and make forty silver basesi to go under them—two bases for each frame, one under each projection. 20For the other side, the north side of the tabernacle, make twenty frames 21and forty silver basesj—two under each frame. 22Make six frames for the far end, that is, the west end of the tabernacle, 23and make two frames for the corners at the far end. 24At these two corners they must be double from the bottom all the way to the top and fitted into a single ring; both shall be like that. 25So there will be eight frames and sixteen silver bases—two under each frame.
26“Also make crossbars of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, 27five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the tabernacle. 28The center crossbar is to extend from end to end at the middle of the frames. 29Overlay the frames with gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Also overlay the crossbars with gold.
30“Set up the tabernaclek according to the planl shown you on the mountain.
31“Make a curtainm of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubimn woven into it by a skilled worker. 32Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases.o 33Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the covenant law behind the curtain.p The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.q 34Put the atonement coverr on the ark of the covenant law in the Most Holy Place. 35Place the tables outside the curtain on the north side of the tabernacle and put the lampstandt opposite it on the south side.
36“For the entrance to the tent make a curtainu of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer.v 37Make gold hooks for this curtain and five posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold. And cast five bronze bases for them.
The Altar of Burnt Offering
27:1-8pp — Ex 38:1–7
1“Build an altara of acacia wood, three cubits1 high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.2 2Make a hornb at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. 3Make all its utensils of bronze—its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls,c meat forks and firepans.d 4Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network. 5Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar. 6Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze.e 7The poles are to be inserted into the rings so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried.f 8Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were showng on the mountain.
The Courtyard
27:9-19pp — Ex 38:9–20
9“Make a courtyardh for the tabernacle. The south side shall be a hundred cubits3 long and is to have curtains of finely twisted linen, 10with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. 11The north side shall also be a hundred cubits long and is to have curtains, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.
12“The west end of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits4 wide and have curtains, with ten posts and ten bases. 13On the east end, toward the sunrise, the courtyard shall also be fifty cubits wide. 14Curtains fifteen cubits5 long are to be on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, 15and curtains fifteen cubits long are to be on the other side, with three posts and three bases.
16“For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtaini twenty cubits6 long, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroidererj—with four posts and four bases. 17All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands and hooks, and bronze bases. 18The courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide,7 with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubits8 high, and with bronze bases. 19All the other articles used in the service of the tabernacle, whatever their function, including all the tent pegs for it and those for the courtyard, are to be of bronze.
Oil for the Lampstand
27:20-21pp — Lev 24:1–3
20“Command the Israelites to bring you clear oilk of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. 21In the tent of meeting,l outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law,m Aaron and his sons are to keep the lampsn burning before the LORD from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinanceo among the Israelites for the generations to come.
The Priestly Garments
1“Have Aarona your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu,b Eleazar and Ithamar,c so they may serve me as priests.d 2Make sacred garmentse for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.f 3Tell all the skilled workersg to whom I have given wisdomh in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. 4These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece,i an ephod,j a robe,k a woven tunic,l a turbanm and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. 5Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.n
The Ephod
28:6-14pp — Ex 39:2–7
6“Make the ephodo of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of skilled hands. 7It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. 8Its skillfully woven waistbandp is to be like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen.
9“Take two onyx stones and engraveq on them the names of the sons of Israel 10in the order of their birth—six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. 11Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings 12and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shouldersr as a memorials before the LORD. 13Make gold filigree settings 14and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings.
The Breastpiece
28:15-28pp — Ex 39:8–21
15“Fashion a breastpiecet for making decisions—the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 16It is to be square—a span1 long and a span wide—and folded double. 17Then mount four rows of precious stonesu on it. The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolitev and beryl; 18the second row shall be turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; 19the third row shall be jacinth, agate and amethyst; 20the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper.2 Mount them in gold filigree settings. 21There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel,w each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.x
22“For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. 23Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece. 24Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 25and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 26Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. 27Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. 28The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod.
29“Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place,y he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the LORD. 30Also put the Urim and the Thummimz in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the LORD. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD.
Other Priestly Garments
28:31-43pp — Ex 39:22–31
31“Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, 32with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar3 around this opening, so that it will not tear. 33Make pomegranatesa of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. 34The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. 35Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die.
36“Make a plateb of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.c 37Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. 38It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guiltd involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptablee to the LORD.
39“Weave the tunicf of fine linen and make the turbang of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer. 40Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sonsh to give them dignity and honor.i 41After you put these clothesj on your brother Aaron and his sons, anointk and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.l
42“Make linen undergarmentsm as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. 43Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the tent of meetingn or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place,o so that they will not incur guilt and die.p
“This is to be a lasting ordinanceq for Aaron and his descendants.
Consecration of the Priests
29:1-37pp — Lev 8:1–36
1“This is what you are to do to consecratea them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect.b 2And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil.c 3Put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams.d 4Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.e 5Take the garmentsf and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband.g 6Put the turbanh on his head and attach the sacred emblemi to the turban. 7Take the anointing oilj and anoint him by pouring it on his head. 8Bring his sons and dress them in tunicsk 9and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons.1l The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance.m
“Then you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.
10“Bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.n 11Slaughter it in the LORD’s presenceo at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 12Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the hornsp of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar.q 13Then take all the fatr on the internal organs,s the long lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. 14But burn the bull’s flesh and its hide and its intestinest outside the camp.u It is a sin offering.2
15“Take one of the rams,v and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.w 16Slaughter it and take the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar. 17Cut the ram into pieces and washx the internal organs and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces. 18Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma,y a food offering presented to the LORD.
19“Take the other ram,z and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.a 20Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet.b Then splash blood against the sides of the altar.c 21And take some bloodd from the altar and some of the anointing oile and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.f
22“Take from this ram the fat,g the fat tail, the fat on the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.) 23From the basket of bread made without yeast, which is before the LORD, take one round loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf. 24Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and have them wave them before the LORD as a wave offering.h 25Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the LORD, a food offering presented to the LORD.i 26After you take the breast of the ram for Aaron’s ordination, wave it before the LORD as a wave offering, and it will be your share.j
27“Consecrate those parts of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons:k the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. 28This is always to be the perpetual share from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons. It is the contribution the Israelites are to make to the LORD from their fellowship offerings.l
29“Aaron’s sacred garmentsm will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them.n 30The sono who succeeds him as priest and comes to the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place is to wear them seven days.
31“Take the ramp for the ordination and cook the meat in a sacred place.q 32At the entrance to the tent of meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the breadr that is in the basket. 33They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eats them, because they are sacred. 34And if any of the meat of the ordination ram or any bread is left over till morning,t burn it up. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred.
35“Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. 36Sacrifice a bull each dayu as a sin offering to make atonementv. Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecratew it. 37For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.x
38“This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day:y two lambs a year old. 39Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight.z 40With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah3 of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin4 of oila from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering.b 41Sacrifice the other lamb at twilightc with the same grain offeringd and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the LORD.
42“For the generations to comee this burnt offering is to be made regularlyf at the entrance to the tent of meeting,g before the LORD. There I will meet you and speak to you;h 43there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory.i
44“So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests.j 45Then I will dwellk among the Israelites and be their God.l 46They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egyptm so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.n
The Altar of Incense
30:1-5pp — Ex 37:25–28
1“Make an altara of acacia wood for burning incense.b 2It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high1—its hornsc of one piece with it. 3Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.d 4Make two gold ringse for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. 5Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.f 6Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement coverg that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.
7“Aaron must burn fragrant incenseh on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. 8He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come.i 9Do not offer on this altar any other incensej or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. 10Once a yeark Aaron shall make atonementl on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering2m for the generations to come.n It is most holy to the LORD.”
Atonement Money
11Then the LORD said to Moses, 12“When you take a censuso of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the LORD a ransomp for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plagueq will come on them when you number them. 13Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,3 according to the sanctuary shekel,r which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD. 14All who cross over, those twenty years old or more,s are to give an offering to the LORD. 15The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give lesst when you make the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives. 16Receive the atonementu money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting.v It will be a memorialw for the Israelites before the LORD, making atonement for your lives.”
Basin for Washing
17Then the LORD said to Moses, 18“Make a bronze basin,x with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feety with waterz from it. 20Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.a Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the LORD, 21they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinanceb for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”c
Anointing Oil
22Then the LORD said to Moses, 23“Take the following fine spices:d 500 shekels4 of liquid myrrh,e half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon,f 250 shekels5 of fragrant calamus,g 24500 shekelsh of cassiai—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin6 of olive oil. 25Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.j It will be the sacred anointing oil.k 26Then use it to anointl the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, 27the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29You shall consecrate themm so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.n
30“Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrateo them so they may serve me as priests.p 31Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oilq for the generations to come.r 32Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.s 33Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut offt from their people.’ ”
Incense
34Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take fragrant spicesu—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, 35and make a fragrant blend of incense,v the work of a perfumer.w It is to be salted and pure and sacred. 36Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meetx with you. It shall be most holyy to you. 37Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holyz to the LORD. 38Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut offa from their people.”
Bezalel and Oholiab
31:2-6pp — Ex 35:30–35
1Then the LORD said to Moses, 2“See, I have chosen Bezalela son of Uri, the son of Hur,b of the tribe of Judah, 3and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledgec and with all kinds of skillsd— 4to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6Moreover, I have appointed Oholiabe son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan,f to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workersg to make everything I have commanded you: 7the tent of meeting,h the ark of the covenant lawi with the atonement coverj on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— 8the tablek and its articles, the pure gold lampstandl and all its accessories, the altar of incense,m 9the altar of burnt offeringn and all its utensils, the basino with its stand— 10and also the woven garmentsp, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, 11and the anointing oilq and fragrant incenser for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commandeds you.”
The Sabbath
12Then the LORD said to Moses, 13“Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths.t This will be a signu between me and you for the generations to come,v so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.w
14“ ‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death;x those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. 15For six days worky is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest,z holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. 16The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath,a celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17It will be a signb between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.c’ ”d
18When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai,e he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stonef inscribed by the finger of God.g
The Golden Calf
1When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain,a they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods1 who will go beforeb us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”c
2Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earringsd that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4He took what they handed him and made it into an idole cast in the shape of a calf,f fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,2g Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”h
5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festivali to the LORD.” 6So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings.j Afterward they sat down to eat and drinkk and got up to indulge in revelry.l
7Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt,m have become corrupt.n 8They have been quick to turn awayo from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idolp cast in the shape of a calf.q They have bowed down to it and sacrificedr to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’s
9“I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-neckedt people. 10Now leave me aloneu so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroyv them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”w
11But Moses sought the favorx of the LORD his God. “LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?y 12Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?z Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disastera on your people. 13Rememberb your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self:c ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the starsd in the sky and I will give your descendants all this lande I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ” 14Then the LORD relentedf and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
15Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant lawg in his hands.h They were inscribedi on both sides, front and back. 16The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.j
17When Joshuak heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war in the camp.”
18Moses replied:
“It is not the sound of victory,
it is not the sound of defeat;
it is the sound of singing that I hear.”
19When Moses approached the camp and saw the calfl and the dancing,m his anger burnedn and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieceso at the foot of the mountain. 20And he took the calf the people had made and burnedp it in the fire; then he ground it to powder,q scattered it on the waterr and made the Israelites drink it.
21He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?”
22“Do not be angry,s my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil.t 23They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’u 24So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”v
25Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstockw to their enemies. 26So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.
27Then he said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’ ”x 28The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”
30The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin.y But now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonementz for your sin.”
31So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed!a They have made themselves gods of gold.b 32But now, please forgive their sinc—but if not, then blot med out of the booke you have written.”
33The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot outf of my book. 34Now go, leadg the people to the placeh I spoke of, and my angeli will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish,j I will punish them for their sin.”
35And the LORD struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calfk Aaron had made.
1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oatha to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’b 2I will send an angelc before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.d 3Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey.e But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-neckedf people and I might destroyg you on the way.”
4When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mournh and no one put on any ornaments. 5For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people.i If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroyj you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’ ” 6So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.k
The Tent of Meeting
7Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.”l Anyone inquiringm of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents,n watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloudo would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spokep with Moses. 10Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent.q 11The LORD would speak to Moses face to face,r as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshuas son of Nun did not leave the tent.
Moses and the Glory of the LORD
12Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’t but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by nameu and you have found favorv with me.’ 13If you are pleased with me, teach me your waysw so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”x
14The LORD replied, “My Presencey will go with you, and I will give you rest.”z
15Then Moses said to him, “If your Presencea does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us?b What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”c
17And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked,d because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”e
18Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”f
19And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to passg in front of you, and I will proclaim my name,h the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.i 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may seej me and live.”
21Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rockk and cover you with my handl until I have passed by. 23Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”