Exodus 24

1 And unto Moses, he said—Come up unto Yahweh—thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, so shall ye bow yourselves down from afar.

The Lord told Moses, “Come up to the Lord—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders. You are to worship at a distance.

2 And Moses alone shall draw near unto Yahweh, but, they shall not draw near, and, the people, shall not come up with him.

Only Moses may approach the Lord—the others must not come near. The people may not go up the mountain with him.”

3 So Moses came, and recounted to the people all the words of Yahweh, and all the regulations, and all the people responded with one voice and said, All the words which Yahweh hath spoken, will we do.

Moses went and told the people all the Lord's instructions and regulations. They all responded together: “We will do everything the Lord says!”

4 Then wrote Moses all the words of Yahweh, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar, under the mountain, and twelve pillars, for the twelve tribes of Israel:

Moses wrote down everything the Lord had said. He got up early the following morning and built an altar at the bottom of the mountain, and set up twelve pillars for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

5 and he sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they caused to go up, ascending-sacrifices, —and slew peace-offerings to Yahweh, of oxen.

Then he sent out some young Israelite men who went and offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord.

6 Then took Moses half of the blood, and put it in basins, and half of the blood, dashed he over the altar:

Moses put half of the blood into bowls, and sprinkled the other half on the altar.

7 then took he the book of the covenant, and read in the ears of the people. And they said, All that Yahweh hath spoken, will we do, and will hearken,

Then he picked up the Book of the Agreement and read it to the people. They replied, “We will do everything the Lord says. We will obey.”

8 Then Moses took the blood, and dashed over the people, and said, Lo! the blood of the covenant which Yahweh hath solemnised with you, over all these words.

So Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the agreement that the Lord has made with you following these terms.”

9 Then went up Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel;

Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders climbed up the mountain,

10 and they saw the God of Israel, —and under his feet, like a pavement of sapphire, and like the very heavens for brightness; and

and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a tiled pavement made of lapis lazuli, as clear blue as the sky itself.

11 against the nobles of the sons of Israel, put he not forth his hand, —so then they had vision of God, and did eat and drink,

But God did not harm the leaders of Israel—they saw him, and they ate and drank a sacred meal.

12 Then said Yahweh unto Moses—Come thou up unto me in the mountain and remain thou there, —for I must give thee tables of stone and the law and the commandment, which I have written to direct them.

Then the Lord told Moses, “Come up the mountain to me, and stay here, so I can give you the stone tablets, with the instructions and commands I have written for them to learn.”

13 And Moses rose up, and Joshua his attendant, and Moses went up into the mountain of God;

So Moses left with Joshua his attendant and climbed up the mountain of God.

14 but, unto the elders, he said—Tarry for us here, until we return unto you. And lo! Aaron and Hur, are with you, he that hath a cause, let him draw near unto them.

He told the elders, “Stay here and wait for us to return. Aaron and Hur are with you. If anyone has a problem, they can talk with them.”

15 So then Moses wont up into the mountain, —and the cloud covered the mountain.

As Moses climbed up on the mountain, the cloud covered it

16 And the glory of Yahweh rested upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days, —then called he unto Moses on the seventh day, out of the midst of the cloud.

The Lord's glory came down on Mount Sinai, covering it for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud.

17 And the appearance of the glory of Yahweh was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain, —in the sight of the sons of Israel.

To the Israelites the Lord's glory looked like a burning fire on the top of the mountain.

18 And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud and ascended into the mountain. And it came to pass that Moses was in the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Moses went into the cloud as he climbed up on the mountain, and he stayed on the mountain for forty days and nights.