Israel at Sinai

19 Exactly three months after the Israelites had left Egypt, they reached the Desert of Sinai. ² They had left Rephidim and had come to the Desert of Sinai. The Israelites camped in the desert in front of Mount Sinai. ³ Then Moses went up on the mountain to God. The Lord called to him from the mountain. The Lord said, “Say this to the family of Jacob. And tell this to the people of Israel: ⁴ ‘Every one of you has seen what I did to the people of Egypt. You saw how I carried you out of Egypt. I did it as an eagle carries her young on her wings. And I brought you here to me. ⁵ So now obey me and keep my agreement. Do this, and you will be my own possession, chosen from all nations. Even though the whole earth is mine, ⁶ you will be my kingdom of priests. You will be a nation that belongs to me alone.’ You must tell the Israelites these words.”

⁷ So Moses went down and called the elders of the people together. He told them all the words the Lord had commanded him to say. ⁸ And all the people answered together, “We will do everything he has said.” Then Moses took their answer back to the Lord.

⁹ And the Lord said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud. I will speak to you. The people will hear me talking to you. I will do this so the people will always trust you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.

¹⁰ The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and have them spend today and tomorrow preparing themselves. They must wash their clothes ¹¹ and be ready by the day after tomorrow. On that day I, the Lord, will come down on Mount Sinai. And all the people will see me. ¹² But you must set a limit around the mountain. The people are not to cross it. Tell the people not to go up on the mountain. Tell them not to touch the foot of it. Anyone who touches the mountain must be put to death. ¹³ He must be put to death with stones or shot with arrows. No one is allowed to touch him. Whether it is a person or an animal, he will not live. But the trumpet will make a long blast. Only then may the people go up on the mountain.”

¹⁴ So Moses went down from the mountain to the people. He made them prepare themselves for service to God. And the people washed their clothes. ¹⁵ Then Moses said to the people, “Be ready in three days. Do not have physical relations during this time.”

¹⁶ It was the morning of the third day. There was thunder and lightning with a thick cloud on the mountain. And there was a very loud blast from a trumpet. All the people in the camp were frightened. ¹⁷ Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God. They stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Mount Sinai was covered with smoke. This happened because the Lord came down on it in fire. The smoke rose from the mountain like smoke from a furnace. And the whole mountain shook wildly. ¹⁹ The sound from the trumpet became louder. Then Moses spoke, and the voice of God answered him.

²⁰ So the Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai. Then he called Moses to come up to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up. ²¹ The Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people. They must not force their way through to see me. If they do, many of them will die. ²² Even the priests, who may come near me, must first prepare themselves. If they don’t, I, the Lord, will punish them.”

²³ Moses told the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai. You yourself told us to set a limit around the mountain. We made it holy.”

²⁴ The Lord said to him, “Go down and bring Aaron with you. But don’t allow the priests or the people to force their way through. They must not come up to the Lord. If they do, I will punish them.”

²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them these things.

The Ten Commandments

20 Then God spoke all these words:

² “I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of the land of Egypt where you were slaves.

³ “You must not have any other gods except me.

⁴ “You must not make for yourselves any idols. Don’t make something that looks like anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the water below the land. ⁵ You must not worship or serve any idol. This is because I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. A person may sin against me and hate me. I will punish his children, even his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. ⁶ But I will be very kind to thousands who love me and obey my commands.

⁷ “You must not use the name of the Lord your God thoughtlessly. The Lord will punish anyone who is guilty and misuses his name.

⁸ “Remember to keep the Sabbath as a holy day. ⁹ You may work and get everything done during six days each week. ¹⁰ But the seventh day is a day of rest to honor the Lord your God. On that day no one may do any work: not you, your son or daughter, or your men or women slaves. Neither your animals nor the foreigners living in your cities may work. ¹¹ The reason is that in six days the Lord made everything. He made the sky, earth, sea and everything in them. And on the seventh day, he rested. So the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹² “Honor your father and your mother. Then you will live a long time in the land. The Lord your God is going to give you this land.

¹³ “You must not murder anyone.

¹⁴ “You must not be guilty of adultery.

¹⁵ “You must not steal.

¹⁶ “You must not tell lies about your neighbor in court.

¹⁷ “You must not want to take your neighbor’s house. You must not want his wife or his men or women slaves. You must not want his ox or his donkey. You must not want to take anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

¹⁸ The people heard the thunder and the trumpet. They saw the lightning on the mountain and smoke rising from the mountain. They shook with fear and stood far away from the mountain. ¹⁹ Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself. Then we will listen. But don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.”

²⁰ Then Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you. He wants you to respect him so you will not sin.”

²¹ The people stood far away from the mountain while Moses went near the dark cloud where God was. ²² Then the Lord told Moses to say these things to the Israelites: “You yourselves have seen that I talked with you from heaven. ²³ You must not use gold or silver to make idols for yourselves. You must not worship these false gods in addition to me.

²⁴ “Make an altar of dirt for me. Offer your whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on this altar as a sacrifice to me. Use your sheep and your cattle to do this. Worship me in every place that I choose. Then I will come and bless you. ²⁵ You may use stones to make an altar for me. But don’t use stones that you have made smooth with tools. You must not use any tools on the stones. If you do, you make them unsuitable for use in worship. ²⁶ And you must not make steps leading up to my altar. If you go up steps, people will be able to see under your clothes.”

Laws for Living

21 Then God said to Moses, “These are the laws for living that you will give to the Israelites:

² “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve you for six years. In the seventh year you are to set him free. And he will have to pay nothing. ³ He might not be married when he becomes your slave. Then he must leave without a wife. The man might be married when he becomes your slave. Then he may take his wife with him. ⁴ The slave’s master might give him a wife, and she might give birth to sons or daughters. Then the woman and her children will belong to the master. When the slave is set free, only he may leave.

⁵ “But the slave might say, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children. I don’t want to go free.’ ⁶ Then the slave’s master will take him to God. The master will take him to a door or doorframe. And he will punch a hole through the slave’s ear using a sharp tool. Then the slave will serve that master all his life.

⁷ “A man might sell his daughter as a slave. There are rules for setting her free. They are different from the rules for setting the men slaves free. ⁸ Maybe the master wanted to marry her but then decided he was not pleased with her. He must let one of her close relatives buy her back. He has no right to sell her to foreigners. This is because he has treated her unfairly. ⁹ The man who bought her might promise to let the woman marry his son. Then he must treat her as a daughter. ¹⁰ The man who bought her might marry another woman. Then he must not keep his slave woman from having food or clothing or physical relations. ¹¹ If he does not give her these three things, she may go free. She owes him no money.

Injuries

¹² “Anyone who hits a person and kills him must be put to death. ¹³ But if a person kills someone accidentally, God allowed that to happen. So the person must go to a place I will choose. ¹⁴ A person might plan and murder another person on purpose. Put him to death, even if he has run to my altar for safety.

¹⁵ “Anyone who hits his father or his mother must be put to death.

¹⁶ “A person might kidnap someone. Then he either sells him as a slave or still has him when he is caught. That person must be put to death.

¹⁷ “Anyone who says cruel things to his father or mother must be put to death.

¹⁸ “Two men might argue. And one might hit the other with a rock or with his fist. The hurt man might not be killed. But he might have to stay in bed. ¹⁹ Later he might be able to get up. And he might be able to walk around outside with his walking stick. Then the one who hit him is not to be punished. But he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time. And he must support the injured man until he is completely healed.

²⁰ “A man might beat his male or female slave with a stick. And the slave might die on the spot. Then the owner must be punished. ²¹ But the slave might get well after a day or two. Then that owner will not be punished since the slave belongs to him.

²² “Two men might be fighting, and they might hit a pregnant woman so that the baby comes out. But there is no further injury. Then the man who caused the injury must pay money. He must pay what the woman’s husband says and the court allows. ²³ But if there is further injury, then the punishment is that life must be paid for life, ²⁴ eye for eye, tooth for tooth. It is also hand for hand, foot for foot, ²⁵ burn for burn, wound for wound and bruise for bruise.

²⁶ “A man might hit his male or female slave in the eye. And the eye might be blinded. Then the man is to free the slave to pay for the eye. ²⁷ A master might knock out a tooth of his male or female slave. Then the man is to free the slave to pay for the tooth.

²⁸ “A man’s bull might kill a man or woman. Then you must kill that bull with stones. You should not eat the bull. But the owner of the bull is not guilty. ²⁹ But the bull might have hurt people in the past. The owner might have been warned. If he did not keep it in a pen and then it kills a man or woman, the bull must be killed with stones. And the owner must also be put to death. ³⁰ But the family of the dead man might accept money. Then the man who owned the bull may buy back his life. But he must pay whatever is demanded. ³¹ Use this same law if the bull kills a person’s son or daughter. ³² But the bull might kill a male or female slave. Then the owner must pay the master the price for a new slave. That is 12 ounces of silver. And the bull must also be killed with stones.

³³ “A man might take the cover off a pit. Or he might dig one and not cover it. Another man’s ox or donkey might come and fall into it. ³⁴ The owner of the pit must pay the owner of the animal for his loss. The dead animal will belong to the one who pays.

³⁵ “One man’s bull might kill another man’s bull. Then they must sell the bull that is alive. Both men get half of the money. And both men will also get half of the bull that was killed. ³⁶ A man’s bull might have hurt other animals in the past. But the owner might not have kept it in a pen. Then that owner must pay bull for bull. And the dead animal is his.

Property Laws

22 “A man might steal a bull or a sheep and kill or sell it. Then he must pay back five bulls for the one bull he stole. Or he must pay back four sheep for the one sheep he stole.

^2-4 “The robber who is caught must pay back what he stole. He might own nothing. Then he must be sold as a slave to pay for what he stole. The stolen animal might be found alive with the robber. Then he must give the owner two animals for every animal he stole. He must pay, whether he stole a bull, donkey or sheep.

“A thief might be killed while breaking into a house at night. Then the one who killed him is not guilty of murder. But if this happens during the day, he is guilty of murder.

⁵ “A person might let his farm animal graze in his field or vineyard. And it might wander into another person’s field or vineyard. Then the owner of the animal must pay back the loss. The payment must come from the best of his crop.

⁶ “A man might start a fire that spreads through the thornbushes to his neighbor’s field. The fire might burn his neighbor’s growing grain or grain that has been stacked. Or it might burn his whole field. Then the person who started the fire must pay for what was burned.

⁷ “A man might give his neighbor money or other things to keep for him. Those things might be stolen from the neighbor’s house. And the thief might be caught. Then he must pay back twice as much as he stole. ⁸ But maybe the thief is never found. Then the owner of the house must make a promise before God. He must promise that he has not stolen his neighbor’s things.

⁹ “Two men might disagree about who owns something. It might be an ox, donkey, sheep or clothing. Or it might be something else that is lost. Each says, ‘This is mine.’ Each man must bring his case to God. God’s judges will decide who is guilty. Then he must pay the other man twice as much as the thing is worth.

¹⁰ “A man might ask his neighbor to keep his animal for him. This animal might be a donkey, ox, sheep or some other animal. And that animal might die, be hurt or be taken away. And no one saw what happened. ¹¹ That neighbor must promise before the Lord that he did not harm or kill the other man’s animal. The owner of the animal must accept his promise made before God. The neighbor does not have to pay the owner for the animal. ¹² But the animal might have been stolen from the neighbor. Then he must pay the owner for it. ¹³ Wild animals might have killed the animal. Then the neighbor must bring the body as proof. He will not have to pay for the animal that was killed.

¹⁴ “A man might borrow an animal from his neighbor. It might get hurt or die while the owner is not there. Then the one who borrowed it must pay the owner for the animal. ¹⁵ The owner might be with the animal. Then the one who borrowed it does not have to pay. If the animal was rented, the rental price covers the loss.

Laws and Relationships

¹⁶ “A man might find a woman who is not pledged to be married. She has never had physical relations with a man. He might trick her into having physical relations with him. Then he must give her family the payment to marry her. And she will be his wife. ¹⁷ But her father might refuse to allow his daughter to marry him. Then the man must still give the payment for a bride. He must pay the usual charge for a woman who is a virgin.

¹⁸ “Put to death any woman who does evil magic.

¹⁹ “Put to death anyone who has unnatural physical relations with an animal.

²⁰ “Destroy completely any person who makes a sacrifice to any god except the Lord.

²¹ “Do not cheat or hurt a foreigner. Remember that you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

²² “Do not cheat a widow or an orphan. ²³ If you do, they will cry out to me for help. I certainly will hear their cry. ²⁴ And I will be very angry and kill you in war. Then your wives will become widows, and your children will become orphans.

²⁵ “You might lend money to one of my people who is poor. Then do not treat him as a moneylender would. Charge him nothing for using your money. ²⁶ Your neighbor might give you his coat as a promise. He is promising to pay you the money he owes you. But you must give it back to him by sunset. ²⁷ That coat is the only cover to keep his body warm. He has nothing else to sleep in. If he cries out to me for help, I will listen because I am merciful.

²⁸ “You must not speak against God. You must not curse a leader of your people.

²⁹ “Do not hold back your offering from the first of your harvest. Give me the first grain that you harvest. Give me the first wine that you make. Also, you must give me your firstborn sons. ³⁰ You must do the same with your bulls and your sheep. Let the firstborn males stay with their mothers for seven days. On the eighth day you must give them to me.

³¹ “You are to be my holy people. You must not eat the meat of any animal that has been killed by wild animals. Instead, give it to the dogs.

Laws About Fairness

23 “You must not tell lies. You might be a witness in court. Don’t help a bad person by telling lies.

² “You must not do wrong just because everyone else is doing it. You might be a witness in court. Then you must not ruin a fair trial. You must not tell lies just because everyone else is. ³ A poor man might be in court. You must not take his side just because he is poor.

⁴ “You might see your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering away. Then you must return it to him. ⁵ You might see that your enemy’s donkey has fallen because its load is too heavy. You must not leave it there. You must help your enemy get the donkey back on its feet.

⁶ “You must not be unfair to a poor man when he is in court. ⁷ You must not lie when you accuse someone in court. Never allow an innocent or honest person to be put to death as punishment. This is because I will not treat guilty people as if they were innocent.

⁸ “You must not accept money from a person who wants you to lie in court. Such money will not let you see what is right. Such money makes good people tell lies.

⁹ “You must not mistreat a foreigner. You know how it feels to be a foreigner. You were foreigners in Egypt.

Laws for the Sabbath

¹⁰ “For six years you are to plant and harvest crops on your land. ¹¹ Then during the seventh year, do not plow or plant your land. If any food grows there, allow the poor people to have it. And let the wild animals eat what is left. You should do the same with your vineyards and your orchards of olive trees.

¹² “You should work six days a week. But on the seventh day you must rest. This lets your ox and your donkey rest. This also lets the slave born in your house and the foreigner be refreshed.

¹³ “Be sure to do all that I have said to you. You must not even say the names of other gods. The names of those gods must not come out of your mouth.

Three Yearly Feasts

¹⁴ “Three times each year you must hold a feast to honor me. ¹⁵ You must celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Do this in the way I commanded you. For seven days you must eat bread that is made without yeast. You must do this at the set time during the month of Abib. This is the month when you came out of Egypt. No one is to come to worship me without bringing an offering.

¹⁶ “You must celebrate the Feast of Harvest. Offer to God the first things you harvest. These are from the crops you planted in your fields.

“You must celebrate the Feast of Tents in the fall. Do this when you gather all the crops from your fields.

¹⁷ “So three times during every year all men must come to worship the Lord God.

¹⁸ “You must not offer animal blood along with anything that has yeast in it.

“You must not save any of the fat from the sacrifice for the next day.

¹⁹ “You must bring the best of the firstfruits of your land. Bring them to the Holy Tent^[a] of the Lord your God.

“You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

Promises

²⁰ “I am sending an angel ahead of you. He will protect you as you travel. He will lead you to the place I have prepared. ²¹ Pay attention to the angel and obey him. Do not turn against him. He will not forgive such turning against him because my power is in him. ²² You must listen carefully to all he says. You must do everything that I tell you. If you do this, I will be an enemy to your enemies. I will fight all who fight against you. ²³ My angel will go ahead of you. He will take you into the land of these people: the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites. And I will destroy them.

²⁴ “You must not bow down to their gods or worship those gods. You must not live the way those people live. You must destroy their idols. And you must break into pieces stone pillars they use in worship. ²⁵ You must worship the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless your bread and your water. I will take away sickness from you. ²⁶ None of your women will have her baby die before it is born. All women will have children. I will allow you to live long lives.

²⁷ “I will make your enemies afraid of me. I will confuse any people you fight against. I will make all your enemies run away from you. ²⁸ I will send something like hornets ahead of you. They will force the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. ²⁹ But I will not force all those people out in only one year. If I did, the land would become a desert. Then the wild animals would become too many for you. ³⁰ Instead, I will force those people out of your land very slowly. I will wait until there are enough of you to take over the land.

³¹ “I will give you the land from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Mediterranean Sea. And I will give you the land between the desert and the Euphrates River. I will give you power over the people who now live in the land. You will force them out ahead of you. ³² You must not make an agreement with those people or with their gods. ³³ You must not let them live in your land. If they live there, they will make you sin against me. If you worship their gods, you will be like someone caught in a trap.”

God and Israel Make Their Agreement

24 The Lord told Moses, “You, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and 70 of the elders of Israel must come up to me. You must worship me from a distance. ² Then Moses alone must come near me. The other men must not come near. And the rest of the people must not come up the mountain with Moses.”

³ So Moses told the people all the Lord’s words and laws for living. Then all of the people answered out loud together. They said, “We will do all the things that the Lord has said.” ⁴ So Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. And he got up early the next morning. He built an altar near the bottom of the mountain. He set up 12 stones, 1 stone for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. ⁵ Then Moses sent young Israelite men to offer whole burnt offerings. They also sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. ⁶ Moses took the blood of these animals. He put half of it in bowls. And he sprinkled the other half of the blood on the altar. ⁷ Then Moses took the book with the agreement written in it. He read it so the people could hear him. And they said, “We will do everything that the Lord has said. We will obey.”

⁸ Then Moses took the blood from the bowls. He sprinkled it on the people. He said, “This is the blood that begins the agreement. This is the agreement which the Lord has made with you about all these things.”

⁹ Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and 70 of the elders of Israel went up the mountain. ¹⁰ They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was a surface. It looked as if it were paved with blue sapphire stones. And it was as clear as the sky! ¹¹ These leaders of the Israelites saw God. But God did not destroy them. Then they ate and drank together.

Moses Gets the Stone Tablets

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Come up the mountain to me. Wait there, and I will give you two stone tablets. On these are the teachings and the commandments. I have written these to teach the people.”

¹³ So Moses and his helper Joshua set out. Moses went up Sinai, the mountain of God. ¹⁴ Moses said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you. Anyone who has a disagreement with others can take it to them.”

Moses Meets with God

¹⁵ When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it. ¹⁶ The greatness of the Lord came down on Mount Sinai. The cloud covered the mountain for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud. ¹⁷ The Israelites could see the greatness of the Lord. It looked like a fire burning on top of the mountain. ¹⁸ Then Moses went into the cloud and went higher up the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights.

Gifts for the Lord

25 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites to bring me gifts. Receive for me the gifts each man wants to give. ³ These are the gifts that you should receive from them: gold, silver, bronze, ⁴ blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen. Receive cloth made of goat hair. ⁵ Receive the male sheep skins that are dyed red. Receive fine leather, acacia wood ⁶ and olive oil to burn in the lamps. And receive spices for sweet-smelling incense and the special olive oil poured on a person’s head to make him a priest. ⁷ Also accept onyx stones and other jewels to be put on the holy vest and the chest covering.

⁸ “The people must build a holy place for me. Then I can live among them. ⁹ Build this Holy Tent and everything in it by the plan I will show you.

The Ark of the Covenant

¹⁰ “Use acacia wood and build an Ark. It must be 45 inches long, 27 inches wide and 27 inches high. ¹¹ Cover the Ark of the Covenant inside and out with pure gold. And put a gold strip all around it. ¹² Make four gold rings for the Ark of the Covenant. Attach the gold rings to its four feet, two rings on each side. ¹³ Then make poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold. ¹⁴ Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the Ark. Use these poles to carry the Ark of the Covenant. ¹⁵ These poles must always stay in the rings of the Ark of the Covenant. Do not take the poles out. ¹⁶ Then put the two flat stones in the Ark of the Covenant. I will give you these stones on which the commands are written.

¹⁷ “Then make a lid of pure gold for the Ark of the Covenant. This lid is the mercy seat. Make it 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. ¹⁸ Then hammer gold to make two creatures with wings. Put one on each end of the lid. ¹⁹ Put one creature with wings on one end of the lid. And put the other creature with wings on the other end. Attach the creatures with wings to the lid so that they will all be one piece. ²⁰ The creatures’ wings should be spread out over the lid. The creatures are to face each other across the lid. ²¹ Put this lid on top of the Ark of the Covenant. Also put in this Ark of the Covenant the agreement which I will make with you. ²² I will meet with you there, above the lid between the two creatures with wings. These are on the Ark of the Covenant. There I will give you all my commands for the Israelites.

The Table

²³ “Make a table out of acacia wood. It must be 36 inches long, 18 inches wide and 27 inches high. ²⁴ Cover it with pure gold. Put a gold strip around it. ²⁵ Then make a frame three inches high that stands up all around the edge. Put a gold strip around the frame. ²⁶ Then make four gold rings. Attach them to the four corners of the table where the four legs are. ²⁷ Put the rings close to the frame around the top of the table. These rings will hold the poles for carrying the table. ²⁸ Make the poles out of acacia wood and cover them with gold. Carry the table with these poles. ²⁹ Make the plates and bowls for the table out of pure gold. Make the jars and cups out of pure gold. They will be used for pouring out the drink offerings. ³⁰ On this table put the bread that shows you are in my presence. It must always be there in front of me.

The Lampstand

³¹ “Hammer pure gold to make a lampstand. Its base, stand, flower-like cups, buds and petals must all be joined together in one piece. ³² The lampstand must have three branches on one side and three branches on the other. ³³ Each branch must have three cups shaped like almond flowers on it. Each cup must have a bud and a petal. ³⁴ And there must be four more cups made like almond flowers on the lampstand itself. These cups must also have buds and petals. ³⁵ Put a bud under each pair of branches that goes out from the lampstand. ³⁶ The branches, buds and lampstand must be one piece of pure, hammered gold.

³⁷ “Then make seven small oil lamps and put them on the lampstand. They will give light to the area in front of the lampstand. ³⁸ The wick trimmers and trays must be made of pure gold. ³⁹ Use 75 pounds of pure gold to make the lampstand and everything with it. ⁴⁰ Be very careful to make them by the plan I showed you on the mountain.

The Holy Tent

26 “Make the Holy Tent with ten pieces of cloth. These pieces must be made of fine linen and blue, purple and red thread. Have a skilled craftsman sew designs of creatures with wings on the pieces of cloth. ² Make each piece the same size. Each piece should be 42 feet long and 6 feet wide. ³ Sew five pieces of cloth together for one set. Sew the other pieces together for the second set. ⁴ Make loops of blue cloth down the edge of the end piece of each set. ⁵ Make 50 loops on the end piece of the first set. And make 50 loops on the end piece of the second set. These loops must be opposite each other. ⁶ And make 50 gold hooks. Use these to join the two sets of cloth. This will make the Holy Tent one piece.

⁷ “Then make another tent that will cover the Holy Tent. Make this tent of 11 pieces of cloth made from goat hair. ⁸ All these pieces of cloth must be the same size. They must be 45 feet long and 6 feet wide. ⁹ Sew five of the pieces together into one set. Then sew the other six pieces together into the second set. Fold the sixth piece double over the front of the Tent. ¹⁰ Make 50 loops down the edge of the end piece of one set. Do the same for the end piece of the other set. ¹¹ Then make 50 bronze hooks. Put these in the loops to join the two sets of cloth. This will make the covering one piece. ¹² Let the extra half piece of cloth hang over the back of the Holy Tent. ¹³ There will be 18 inches hanging over the sides of the Holy Tent. This will protect the Tent. ¹⁴ Make two more coverings for the Holy Tent. One should be made from male sheep skins colored red. The outer covering should be from fine leather.

¹⁵ “Use acacia wood to make upright frames for the Holy Tent. ¹⁶ Each frame must be 15 feet long and 27 inches wide. ¹⁷ Every frame must be made the same way. There must be two pegs side by side in each frame. ¹⁸ Make 20 frames for the south side of the Holy Tent. ¹⁹ Each frame must have 2 silver bases to go under it. A peg fits into each silver base. You must make 40 silver bases for the frames. ²⁰ Make 20 more frames for the north side of the Holy Tent. ²¹ Make 40 silver bases for them. Make 2 bases for each frame. ²² You must make 6 frames for the rear or west end of the Holy Tent. ²³ Make 2 frames for each corner at the rear. ²⁴ The 2 frames at each corner are to be joined together. Hold them together from bottom to top with a metal ring. Both corner frames must be made this way. ²⁵ So there will be a total of 8 frames at the rear of the Tent. And there will be 16 silver bases—2 bases under each frame.

²⁶ “Make crossbars of acacia wood to connect the upright frames of the Holy Tent. Make five crossbars to hold the frames together on one side. ²⁷ Also make five crossbars to hold the frames together on the other side. And make crossbars to hold the frames together on the west end, at the rear. ²⁸ The middle crossbar is to be set halfway up the frames. It is to run along the entire length of each side and rear. ²⁹ Make gold rings on the sides of the frames. Pass the crossbars through the rings. Cover the frames and the crossbars with gold. ³⁰ Set up the Holy Tent by the plan shown to you on the mountain.

³¹ “Make a curtain of fine linen and blue, purple and red thread. Have a skilled craftsman sew designs of creatures with wings on the curtain. ³² Hang the curtain by gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood. Cover these posts with gold and set them in four silver bases. ³³ Hang the curtain from the hooks in the roof. Put the Ark of the Covenant containing the two flat stones behind the curtain. This curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. ³⁴ Put the lid on the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place.

³⁵ “Outside the curtain, put the table on the north side of the Holy Tent. And put the lampstand on the south side of the Holy Tent. This will be across from the table.

The Entrance of the Holy Tent

³⁶ “Then make a curtain for the entrance of the Tent. Make it with fine linen and blue, purple and red thread. Someone who can sew well is to sew designs on it. ³⁷ Make five posts of acacia wood covered with gold. Make five gold hooks on which to hang the curtain from the posts. And make five bronze bases for the five posts.

The Altar

27 “Make an altar for burnt offerings out of acacia wood. Make it 4½ feet high. It should be square: 7½ feet long and 7½ feet wide. ² Make each of the four corners of the altar stick out like a horn. The corners with their horns must be all one piece. Then cover the whole altar with bronze.

³ “Use bronze to make all the tools and dishes that will be used on the altar. Make pots to remove the ashes. Make shovels, bowls for sprinkling blood, meat forks and pans for carrying the burning wood.

⁴ “Make a large, bronze screen to hold the burning wood. And put a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the screen. ⁵ Put the screen inside the altar, under its rim, halfway up from the bottom.

⁶ “Make poles of acacia wood for the altar. And cover them with bronze. ⁷ Put the poles through the rings on both sides of the altar to carry it. ⁸ Make the altar out of boards and leave the inside hollow. Make it as you were shown on the mountain.

The Courtyard of the Holy Tent

⁹ “Make a wall of curtains to form a courtyard around the Holy Tent. The south side should have a wall of fine linen curtains 150 feet long. ¹⁰ Hang the curtain with silver hooks and bands. Put these on 20 bronze posts on 20 bronze bases. ¹¹ The north side must also be 150 feet long. Hang its curtains on silver hooks and bands. Put these on 20 bronze posts on 20 bronze bases.

¹² “The west end of the courtyard must have a wall of curtains 75 feet long. It must have 10 posts and 10 bases on that wall. ¹³ The east end of the courtyard must also be 75 feet long. ¹⁴ On one side of the entry, there is to be a wall of curtains. It is to be 22½ feet long. It is to be held up by 3 posts on 3 bases. ¹⁵ On the other side of the entry, there is to be a wall of curtains. It is to be 22½ feet long. It is to be held up by 3 posts on 3 bases.

¹⁶ “The entry to the courtyard is to be a curtain 30 feet wide. It is to be made of fine linen with blue, purple and red thread. Someone who can sew well is to sew designs on it. It is to be held up by 4 posts on 4 bases. ¹⁷ All the posts around the courtyard must have silver bands and hooks and bronze bases. ¹⁸ The courtyard must be 150 feet long and 75 feet wide. The wall of curtains around it should be 7½ feet high. They must be made of fine linen. The bases in which the posts are set must be bronze. ¹⁹ All the things used in the Holy Tent must be made of bronze. And all the tent pegs for the Holy Tent and the wall around the courtyard must be made of bronze.

Oil for the Lamp

²⁰ “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure olive oil. It is to be made from pressed olives. This is to keep the lamps on the lampstand burning. ²¹ Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This will be in the Meeting Tent. It is outside the curtain which is in front of the Ark of the Covenant. The Israelites and their descendants must obey this rule from now on.

Clothes for the Priests

28 “Tell your brother Aaron to come to you. His sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar must come with him. Separate them from the other Israelites. These men must serve as priests. ² Make holy clothes for your brother Aaron to give him honor and beauty. ³ Speak to all the people to whom I have given the ability to make clothes. Tell these skilled craftsmen to make the clothes for Aaron. Use these clothes to make him belong to me. Then he may serve me as a priest. ⁴ These are the clothes they must make: a chest covering, a holy vest, an outer robe, a woven inner robe, a turban and a cloth belt. The craftsmen must make these holy clothes. They are for your brother Aaron and his sons. Then Aaron and his sons may serve me as priests. ⁵ The craftsmen must use gold and blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen.

The Holy Vest

⁶ “Use gold and blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen to make the holy vest. The craftsmen are to make this holy vest. ⁷ At each top corner of this holy vest there will be a pair of shoulder straps. These are to be tied together over each shoulder.

⁸ “The craftsmen will very carefully weave a belt on the holy vest. Make the belt with gold and blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen.

⁹ “Take two onyx stones. Write the name of the 12 sons of Israel on these jewels. ¹⁰ Write 6 names on one stone and 6 names on the other stone. Write the names in order, from the oldest son to the youngest. ¹¹ Carve the names of the sons of Israel on these stones. Do this the same way a person carves words and designs on the seals. Put gold around the stones to hold them on the holy vest. ¹² Put the two stones on the two straps of the holy vest. These stones are reminders of the 12 sons of Israel. Aaron is to wear their names on his shoulders. They are before the Lord as reminders of the sons of Israel. ¹³ Make two gold pieces to hold the stones. ¹⁴ Then make two chains of pure gold. Twist them together like a rope. Attach the chains to the two gold pieces that hold the stones.

The Chest Covering

¹⁵ “Make a chest covering to help in making decisions. The craftsmen should make it as they made the holy vest. They must use gold and blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen. ¹⁶ The chest covering must be square. It should be nine inches long and nine inches wide. Fold it double to make a pocket. ¹⁷ Put four rows of beautiful gems on the chest covering. The first row of jewels must have a ruby, topaz and yellow quartz. ¹⁸ The second row must have turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald. ¹⁹ The third row must have a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst. ²⁰ The fourth row must have a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper. Put gold around these jewels to attach them to the chest covering. ²¹ There must be 12 jewels on the chest covering. That is 1 jewel for each of the names of the sons of Israel. Carve the name of one of the 12 tribes on each of the stones. Carve them as you would carve a seal.

²² “Make chains of pure gold for the chest covering. Twist them together like rope. ²³ Make two gold rings. Put them on the two upper corners of the chest covering. ²⁴ Attach the two gold chains to the two rings. These are at the upper corners of the chest covering. ²⁵ Attach the other ends of the two chains to the two gold pieces on the shoulder straps. This will tie the chains to the shoulder straps in the front of the holy vest.

²⁶ “Make two more gold rings. Put them at the two lower corners of the chest covering. Put them on the inside edge of the chest covering next to the holy vest. ²⁷ Make two more gold rings. Attach them to the bottom of the shoulder straps in the front of the holy vest. Put the gold rings close to the seam above the woven belt of the holy vest. ²⁸ Join the rings of the chest covering to the rings of the holy vest with blue ribbon. This will connect it to the woven belt. In this way the chest covering will not swing out from the holy vest.

²⁹ “When Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will wear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart. These names are on the chest covering that helps in making decisions. This will be a continual reminder before the Lord. ³⁰ And put the Urim and Thummim inside the chest covering. These things will be on Aaron’s heart when he goes before the Lord. They will help in making decisions for the Israelites. So Aaron will always carry them with him when he is before the Lord.

³¹ “Make the outer robe to be worn under the holy vest, using only blue cloth. ³² Make a hole in the center for Aaron’s head. And there must be a woven collar around the hole so it will not tear. ³³ Make balls like pomegranates of blue, purple and red thread. Hang these pomegranate balls around the bottom of the outer robe. And hang gold bells between them. ³⁴ So all around the bottom of the outer robe there should be a gold bell and a pomegranate ball, a gold bell and a pomegranate ball. ³⁵ Aaron must wear this robe when he serves as priest. The ringing of the bells will be heard. They will ring when he enters and leaves the Holy Place before the Lord. This way Aaron will not be killed.

³⁶ “Make a strip of pure gold. Carve these words on the gold strip as you would carve on a seal: ‘Holy to the Lord.’ ³⁷ Use blue ribbon to tie a strip of gold to the turban. Put it on the front of the turban. ³⁸ Aaron must wear this on his forehead. In this way, he will be blamed if anything is wrong with the gifts of the Israelites. Aaron must always wear this on his head so the Lord will accept the gifts of the people.

³⁹ “Make the woven inner robe of fine linen. Make the turban of fine linen, also. Make the cloth belt with designs sewn on it. ⁴⁰ Also make woven inner robes, cloth belts and headbands for Aaron’s sons. This will give them honor and beauty. ⁴¹ Put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons. Then pour olive oil on their heads to appoint them as priests. Make them belong to me so they may serve me as priests.

⁴² “Make for them linen underclothes to cover them from the waist to the upper parts of the legs. ⁴³ Aaron and his sons must wear these underclothes when they enter the Meeting Tent. And they must wear these clothes anytime they come near the altar to serve as priests in the Holy Place. If they do not wear these clothes, they will be guilty of wrong. And they will be killed. This will be a law that will last from now on for Aaron and all his descendants.

Appointing the Priests

29 “This is what you must do to appoint Aaron and his sons. Then they may serve me as priests. Take one young bull and two male sheep that have nothing wrong with them. ² Use fine wheat flour without yeast to make bread and cakes mixed with olive oil. Also use wheat flour without yeast to make wafers brushed with olive oil. ³ Put these in one basket. Bring them in the basket along with the bull and two male sheep. ⁴ Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Meeting Tent. Then wash them with water. ⁵ Take the clothes. Dress Aaron in the inner robe and the outer robe of the holy vest. Then put on him the holy vest and the chest covering. Then tie the holy vest on him with its skillfully woven belt. ⁶ Put the turban on his head. Put the holy crown, the strip of gold, on the turban. ⁷ Take the special olive oil and pour it on his head to make him a priest.

⁸ “Then bring his sons and put the inner robes on them. ⁹ Put the headbands on their heads. Then tie cloth belts around their waists. Aaron and his descendants will be priests in Israel. This is by a rule that will continue from now on. This is how you will appoint Aaron and his sons as priests.

¹⁰ “Bring the bull to the front of the Meeting Tent. Aaron and his sons must put their hands on the bull’s head. ¹¹ Then kill the bull before the Lord at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. ¹² Take some of the bull’s blood and go to the altar. Use your finger to put some blood on the corners of the altar. Pour the blood that is left at the bottom of the altar. ¹³ Then take all the fat that covers the inner organs. Take the best part of the liver, and take both kidneys and the fat around them. Burn these on the altar. ¹⁴ Take the bull’s meat, skin and intestines. Burn these things outside the camp. This is an offering to take away sin.

¹⁵ “Take one of the male sheep. Have Aaron and his sons put their hands on its head. ¹⁶ Then kill that male sheep. Take its blood and sprinkle it on all four sides of the altar. ¹⁷ Then cut the male sheep into pieces. Wash its inner organs and its legs. Put them with its head and its other pieces. ¹⁸ Burn the whole male sheep on the altar. It is a burnt offering made by fire to the Lord. Its smell is pleasing to the Lord.

¹⁹ “Take the other male sheep. Have Aaron and his sons put their hands on its head. ²⁰ Kill that male sheep and take some of its blood. Put it on the bottom of the right ears of Aaron and his sons. Also put it on the thumbs of their right hands. And put it on the big toes of their right feet. Then sprinkle the rest of the blood against all four sides of the altar. ²¹ Then take some of the blood from the altar. Mix it with the special oil used in appointing priests. Sprinkle this on Aaron and his clothes. And sprinkle this on his sons and their clothes. This will show that Aaron and his sons and their clothes are given to my service.

²² “Then take the fat from the male sheep. Take the fat tail and the fat that covers the inner organs. Take the best part of the liver. Take both kidneys and the fat around them and the right thigh. This is the male sheep to be used in appointing priests.

²³ “Then take the basket of bread that you made without yeast. This is the basket you put before the Lord. From it take a loaf of bread, a cake made with olive oil and a wafer. ²⁴ Put these in the hands of Aaron and his sons. Tell them to present these things in their hands before the Lord. This will be an offering presented to the Lord. ²⁵ Then take them from their hands. Burn them on the altar with the whole burnt offering. This is an offering made by fire to the Lord. Its smell is pleasing to the Lord. ²⁶ Then take the breast of the male sheep used to appoint Aaron as priest. Present the breast of the male sheep before the Lord. It is an offering presented to the Lord. This part of the animal will be your share. ²⁷ Then give to the service of the Lord the parts of the male sheep used to appoint them as priests. They belong to Aaron and his sons. They are the breast and the right thigh. These were presented to the Lord. ²⁸ This is to be the regular share which the Israelites will always give to Aaron and his sons. This is the gift the Israelites must give to the Lord from their fellowship offerings.

²⁹ “The holy clothes made for Aaron will belong to his descendants. They must wear these clothes when they are appointed as priests. ³⁰ Aaron’s son will become high priest after Aaron. He will come to the Meeting Tent to serve in the Holy Place. He is to wear these clothes for seven days.

³¹ “Take the male sheep used to appoint priests. Boil its meat in a place made holy for serving me. ³² Then Aaron and his sons must eat the meat of the male sheep. They must do that at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. And they must also eat the bread that is in the basket. ³³ These offerings were used to remove their sins when they were made priests so they would belong to God. Now they should eat these offerings. But no one else is to eat these things because they are holy. ³⁴ If any of the meat from that male sheep or any of the bread is left the next morning, it must be burned. It shall not be eaten because it is holy.

³⁵ “Do all these things that I commanded you to do to Aaron and his sons. You are to spend seven days appointing them. ³⁶ Each day for seven days you are to offer a bull. This will remove the sins of Aaron and his sons so they will be given for service to the Lord. Make the altar ready for service to the Lord. Pour oil on it to make it holy. ³⁷ Spend seven days making the altar ready for service to God and making it holy. Then the altar will become very holy. Anything that touches it must be holy.

The Daily Sacrifices

³⁸ “Every day from now on, offer on the altar two lambs that are one year old. ³⁹ Offer one lamb in the morning and the other in the evening. ⁴⁰ In the morning, when you offer the first lamb, offer also two quarts of fine flour. Mix it with one quart of oil from pressed olives. Pour out a quart of wine as a drink offering. ⁴¹ Offer the second lamb in the evening. Also offer the same grain offering and drink offering as you did in the morning. This is an offering by fire to the Lord. And its smell is pleasing to the Lord.

⁴² “You must burn these things as an offering to the Lord every day. Do this at the entrance of the Meeting Tent before the Lord from now on. When you make the offering, I, the Lord, will meet you there and speak to you. ⁴³ I will meet with the people of Israel there. And that place will be holy because of my greatness.

⁴⁴ “So I will make the Meeting Tent and the altar holy. And I will make Aaron and his sons holy so they may serve me as priests. ⁴⁵ I will live with the people of Israel. I will be their God. ⁴⁶ And they will know that I am the Lord their God. They will know that I am the one who led them out of Egypt. I did this so I could live with them. I am the Lord their God.

The Altar for Burning Incense

30 “Make an altar out of acacia wood for burning incense. ² Make it square—18 inches long and 18 inches wide. It must be 36 inches high. Make the corners stick out like horns. These must be one piece with the altar. ³ Cover its top, its sides and its corners with pure gold. And put a gold strip all around the altar. ⁴ Make two gold rings beneath the gold strip on opposite sides of the altar. Slide poles through these gold rings to carry the altar. ⁵ Make the poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold. ⁶ Put the altar of incense in front of the curtain. This curtain is in front of the Ark of the Covenant. Put the altar in front of the lid that covers that Ark of the Covenant. There I will meet with you.

⁷ “Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on the altar every morning. He will do this when he comes to take care of the oil lamps. ⁸ He must burn incense again in the evening when he lights the lamps. So incense will burn before the Lord every day from now on. ⁹ Do not use this altar for offering any other incense or burnt offering. Do not use this altar to offer any kind of grain offering or drink offering. ¹⁰ Once a year Aaron must make the altar ready for service to God. He will do it by putting blood on its corners. This is blood of the animal offered to remove sins. He is to do this once a year from now on. This altar belongs completely to God’s service.”

The Tax for the Meeting Tent

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹² “Count the people of Israel. At that time every person must pay to buy back his life from the Lord. Then no terrible things will happen to the people when you number them. ¹³ Every person who is counted must pay one-fifth of an ounce of silver. This is set by the Holy Place measure, which weighs two-fifths of an ounce. This amount is a gift to the Lord. ¹⁴ Every person who is counted and is 20 years old or older must give this amount to the Lord. ¹⁵ A rich person must not give more than one-fifth of an ounce. And a poor person must not give less than one-fifth of an ounce. You are paying this to the Lord to buy back your lives. ¹⁶ Gather from the people of Israel this money paid to buy back their lives. Spend it to buy things for the service in the Meeting Tent. This payment will remind the Lord that the Israelites’ lives have been bought back.”

The Bronze Bowl

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ “Make a bronze bowl for washing. Build it on a bronze stand. Put the bowl and stand between the Meeting Tent and the altar. Put water in the bowl. ¹⁹ Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet with the water from this bowl. ²⁰ Each time, before they enter the Meeting Tent, they must wash with water. This way they will not die. They approach the altar to serve as priests. They offer a sacrifice to the Lord by fire. ²¹ Each time they do this, they must wash their hands and their feet so they will not die. This is a rule which Aaron and his descendants are to keep from now on.”

Oil for Appointing

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, ²³ “Take the finest spices: 12 pounds of liquid myrrh, half that amount (that is, 6 pounds) of sweet-smelling cinnamon, 6 pounds of sweet-smelling cane ²⁴ and 12 pounds of cassia. Weigh all these by the Holy Place measure. Also take 4 quarts of olive oil. ²⁵ Mix all these things like a perfume to make a holy olive oil. This special oil must be put on people and things. Do this to make them ready for service to God. ²⁶ Put this oil on the Meeting Tent and the Ark of the Covenant with my laws in it. ²⁷ Put this oil on the table and all its dishes. And put this oil on the lampstand and all its tools. Put the oil on the incense altar. ²⁸ Also, put the oil on the altar for burning offerings and all its tools. Put this oil on the bowl and the stand under the bowl. Put oil on all these things to prepare them for service to God. ²⁹ You will give these things for service to God. They will be very holy. Anything that touches these things must also be holy.

³⁰ “Put the oil on Aaron and his sons to make them priests. Give them for service to me. Then they may serve me as priests. ³¹ Tell the Israelites, ‘This is to be my holy olive oil from now on. It is to be put on people and things to make them ready for service to God. ³² Do not pour it on the bodies of ordinary people. Do not make perfume the same way you make this oil. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. ³³ Someone might make perfume like it. Or he might put it on someone who is not a priest. Then that person must be separated from his people.’”

Incense

³⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take these sweet-smelling spices: resin, onycha, galbanum and pure frankincense. Be sure that you have equal amounts of each. ³⁵ You must make incense as a man who makes perfume would do. Add salt to it to keep it pure and holy. ³⁶ Beat some of the incense into a fine powder. Put some of it in front of the Ark of the Covenant in the Meeting Tent. There I will meet with you. You must use this incense powder only for its very special purpose. ³⁷ Do not make incense for yourselves the same way you make this incense. Treat it as holy to the Lord. ³⁸ Whoever makes incense like this to use as perfume must be separated from his people.”

Bezalel and Oholiab

31 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri from the tribe of Judah. Uri was the son of Hur. ³ I have filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God. I have given him the skill, ability and knowledge to do all kinds of work. ⁴ He is able to design pieces to be made from gold, silver and bronze. ⁵ He is able to cut jewels and put them in metal. And he can carve wood. Bezalel can do all kinds of work. ⁶ I have also chosen Oholiab son of Ahisamach from the tribe of Dan. Oholiab will work with Bezalel. I have given skills to all skilled craftsmen. They will be able to make all these things I have commanded you: ⁷ the Meeting Tent, the Ark of the Covenant, the lid that covers the Ark of the Covenant and everything in the Tent. ⁸ This includes the table and everything on it, the pure gold lampstand and everything with it and the altar of incense. ⁹ It also includes the altar for burnt offerings and everything used with it, the bowl and the stand under it. ¹⁰ They will make the woven clothes and the holy clothes for Aaron and the clothes for his sons to wear when they serve as priests. ¹¹ They will also make the special olive oil used in appointing people and things to the service of the Lord, and the sweet-smelling incense for the Holy Place.

“These workers will make all these things just as I have commanded you.”

The Day of Rest

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹³ “Tell the Israelites, ‘You must keep the rules about my Sabbaths. This is because they will be a sign between you and me from now on. In this way you will know that I, the Lord, am making you holy.

¹⁴ “‘Make the Sabbath a holy day. If anyone treats the Sabbath like any other day, that person must be put to death. Anyone who works on the Sabbath day must be separated from his people. ¹⁵ There are six days for working. But the seventh day is a day of rest. It is a day holy for the Lord. Anyone who works during the Sabbath day must be put to death. ¹⁶ The Israelites must remember the Sabbath day. It is an agreement between them and me that will continue from now on. ¹⁷ The Sabbath day will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever. This is because in six days I, the Lord, made the sky and the earth. And on the seventh day I did not work. I rested.’”

¹⁸ So the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai. Then the Lord gave him the two stone tablets with the agreement written on them. The finger of God wrote the commands on the stones.

The People Make a Gold Calf

32 The people saw that a long time had passed. And Moses had not come down from the mountain. So they gathered around Aaron. They said to him, “Moses led us out of Egypt. But we don’t know what has happened to him. So make us gods who will lead us.”

² Aaron said to the people, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, sons and daughters are wearing. Bring them to me.” ³ So all the people took their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ Aaron took the gold from the people. Then he melted it and made a statue of a calf. He finished it with a tool. Then the people said, “Israel! These are your gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

⁵ Aaron saw all this, and he built an altar before the calf. Then he made an announcement. He said, “Tomorrow there will be a special feast to honor the Lord.” ⁶ The people got up early the next morning. They offered whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. First the people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up and had wild parties.

⁷ And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down from this mountain. Your people, the people you brought out of the land of Egypt, have done a terrible sin. ⁸ They have quickly turned away from the things I commanded them to do. They have made for themselves a calf of melted gold. They have worshiped that calf and offered sacrifices to it. The people have said, ‘Israel, these are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.’”

⁹ The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen these people. I know that they are very stubborn people. ¹⁰ So now do not stop me. I am so angry with them that I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants a great nation.”

¹¹ But Moses begged the Lord his God. Moses said, “Lord, don’t let your anger destroy your people. You brought these people out of Egypt with your great power and strength. ¹² Don’t let the people of Egypt say, ‘The Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt. But he planned to kill them in the mountains and destroy them from the earth.’ So stop being angry. Don’t destroy your people. ¹³ Remember the men who served you—Abraham, Isaac and Israel. You promised with an oath to them. You said, ‘I will make your descendants as many as the stars in the sky. I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised them. It will be theirs forever.’” ¹⁴ So the Lord changed his mind. He did not destroy the people as he had said he might.

¹⁵ Then Moses went down the mountain. In his hands he had the two stone tablets with the agreement on them. The commands were written on both sides of each stone, front and back. ¹⁶ God himself had made the stones. And God himself had written the commands on the stones.

¹⁷ Then Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting. He said to Moses, “It sounds like war down in the camp.”

¹⁸ Moses answered:

¹⁹ When Moses came close to the camp, he saw the gold calf and the dancing. He became very angry. He threw down the stone tablets which he was carrying. He broke them at the bottom of the mountain. ²⁰ Then he took the calf that the people had made. He melted it in the fire. And he ground the gold until it became powder. He threw the powder into the water. And he forced the Israelites to drink that water.

²¹ Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you? Why did you cause them to do such a terrible sin?”

²² Aaron answered, “Don’t be angry, master. You know that these people are always ready to do wrong. ²³ The people said to me, ‘Moses led us out of Egypt. But we don’t know what has happened to him. So make us gods who will lead us.’ ²⁴ So I told the people, ‘Take off your gold jewelry.’ So they gave me the gold. I threw it into the fire and out came this calf!”

²⁵ Moses saw that the people were acting wildly. He saw that Aaron had let them get out of control. Their enemies would laugh at them. ²⁶ So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp. He said, “Let anyone who wants to follow the Lord come to me.” And all the people from the family of Levi gathered around Moses.

²⁷ Then Moses said to them, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says this: ‘Every man must put on his sword and go through the camp from one end to the other. Each man must kill his brother, his friend and his neighbor.’” ²⁸ The people from the family of Levi obeyed Moses. That day about 3,000 of the people of Israel died. ²⁹ Then Moses said, “Today you have been given for service to the Lord. You were willing to kill your own sons and brothers. And God has blessed you for this.”

³⁰ The next day Moses told the people, “You have done a terrible sin. But now I will go up to the Lord. Maybe I can do something so your sins will be removed. Then you will belong to God again.” ³¹ So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “How terrible it is! These people have sinned horribly. They have made for themselves gods from gold. ³² Now, forgive them of this sin. If you will not, then erase my name. Erase it from the book in which you have written the names of your people.”

³³ But the Lord told Moses, “I will erase from my book the names of the people who sin against me. ³⁴ So now, go. Lead the people where I have told you. My angel will lead you. When the time comes to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”

³⁵ So the Lord caused terrible things to happen to the people. He did this because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.

33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “You and the people you brought out of Egypt must leave this place. Go to the land that I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I said, ‘I will give that land to your descendants.’ ² I will send an angel to lead you. And I will force these people out of the land: the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. ³ Go up to the land where much food grows. But I will not go with you. This is because I might destroy you on the way. You are such a stubborn people.”

⁴ The people heard this bad news, and they became very sad. None of them put on jewelry. ⁵ This was because the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stubborn people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I would destroy you. So take off all your jewelry. Then I will decide what to do with you.’” ⁶ So the people of Israel took off their jewelry at Mount Sinai.

The Meeting Tent

⁷ Moses used to take a tent and set it up a long way outside the camp. Moses called it the “Meeting Tent.” A person might want to ask the Lord about something. Then he would go to the Meeting Tent outside the camp. ⁸ Anytime Moses went out to the Tent, all the people would rise. They stood at the entrances of their tents and watched Moses until he entered the Meeting Tent. ⁹ When Moses went into the Tent, the pillar of cloud would always come down. It would stay at the entrance of the Tent while the Lord spoke with Moses. ¹⁰ The people saw the pillar of cloud at the entrance of the Tent. Then they stood and worshiped, each person at the entrance of his own tent.

¹¹ The Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp. But Moses’ young helper, Joshua son of Nun, did not leave the Tent.

¹² Moses said to the Lord, “You have told me to lead these people. But you did not say whom you would send with me. You have said to me, ‘I know you very well. I am pleased with you.’ ¹³ If I have truly pleased you, show me your plans. Then I may know you and continue to please you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

¹⁴ The Lord answered, “I myself will go with you. And I will give you victory.”

¹⁵ Then Moses said to him, “If you yourself don’t go with us, then don’t send us away from this place. ¹⁶ If you don’t go with us, no one will know that you are pleased with me and your people. These people and I would be no different from any other people on earth.”

¹⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will do what you ask. This is because I know you very well, and I am pleased with you.”

Moses and God’s Greatness

¹⁸ Then Moses said, “Now, please show me your greatness.”

¹⁹ The Lord answered, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you. I will announce my name, the Lord, so you can hear it. I will show kindness to anyone I want to show kindness. I will show mercy to anyone I want to show mercy. ²⁰ But you cannot see my face. No one can see me and stay alive.

²¹ “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. ²² My greatness will pass that place. I will put you in a large crack in that rock. And I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back. But my face must not be seen.”

Moses Gets New Tablets

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Cut two more stone tablets like the first two. I will write the same words on them that were on the first two stones which you broke. ² Be ready tomorrow morning. Then come up on Mount Sinai. Stand before me there on the top of the mountain. ³ No one may come with you. No one should even be seen any place on the mountain. Not even the sheep or cattle may eat grass near that mountain.”

⁴ So Moses cut two stone tablets like the first ones. Then early the next morning he went up Mount Sinai. He did this just as the Lord had commanded him. Moses carried the two stone tablets with him. ⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with Moses. And the Lord called out his name, the Lord.

⁶ The Lord passed in front of Moses and said, “I am the Lord. The Lord is a God who shows mercy and is kind. The Lord doesn’t become angry quickly. The Lord has great love and faithfulness. ⁷ The Lord is kind to thousands of people. The Lord forgives people for wrong and sin and turning against him. But the Lord does not forget to punish guilty people. The Lord will punish not only the guilty people. He will also punish their children, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren and their great-great-grandchildren.”

⁸ Then Moses quickly bowed to the ground and worshiped. ⁹ Moses said, “Lord, if you are pleased with me, please go with us. I know that these are stubborn people. But forgive our evil and our sin. Take us as your own people.”

¹⁰ Then the Lord said, “I am making this agreement with you. I will do miracles in front of all your people. These things have never before been done for any other nation on earth. The people with you will see my work. I, the Lord, will do wonderful things for you. ¹¹ Obey the things I command you today, and I will force your enemies to leave your land. I will force out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites ahead of you. ¹² Be careful. Don’t make any agreement with the people who live in the land where you are going. It will bring you trouble. ¹³ But destroy their altars. Break their stone pillars. Cut down their Asherah idols. ¹⁴ Don’t worship any other god. This is because I, the Lord, the Jealous One, am a jealous God.

¹⁵ “Be careful. Don’t make any agreements with the people who live in that land. They will worship their false gods. And they will invite you to join them. Then you will join them, and you will eat their sacrifices. ¹⁶ You might choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons. Those daughters worship false gods. They might lead your sons to do the same thing.

¹⁷ “Do not make gods of melted metal.

¹⁸ “Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you must eat bread made without yeast as I commanded you. Do this during the month I have chosen, the month of Abib. This is because in that month you came out of Egypt.

¹⁹ “Every firstborn cow or sheep that is born to each animal belongs to me. ²⁰ You may buy back a donkey by paying for it with a lamb. But if you don’t want to buy back a donkey, you must break its neck. You must buy back all your firstborn sons.

“No one is to come before me without a gift.

²¹ “You must work for six days. But on the seventh day you must rest. You must do this even during the planting season and harvest season.

²² “Celebrate the Feast of Weeks when you gather the first grain of the wheat harvest. And celebrate the Feast of Harvest in the fall.

²³ “Three times each year all your men must come before the Master, the Lord, the God of Israel. ²⁴ I will force out nations ahead of you. I will expand the borders of your land. You will go before the Lord your God three times each year. And at that time no one will try to take your land from you.

²⁵ “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me with anything containing yeast. And do not leave any of the sacrifice of the Feast of Passover. It must not be left until the next morning.

²⁶ “Bring the best first crops that you harvest from your ground. Bring those things to the Tent of the Lord your God.

“You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

²⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words. This is because with these words I have made an agreement with you and Israel.”

²⁸ Moses stayed there with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights. During that time he did not eat food or drink water. And Moses wrote the words of the agreement—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets.

The Face of Moses Shines

²⁹ Then Moses came down from Mount Sinai. In his hands he was carrying the two stone tablets of the agreement. But Moses did not know that his face was shining because he had talked with the Lord. ³⁰ Aaron and all the people of Israel saw that Moses’ face was shining. So they were afraid to go near him. ³¹ But Moses called to them. So Aaron and all the leaders of the people returned to Moses. Moses talked with them. ³² After that, all the people of Israel came near him. And he gave them all the commands that the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.