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14 “‘Three times in the year you will hold a festival for me. 15 You will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you will eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you at the appointed time, the month of Abib, because in it you came out from Egypt, and no one will[a] appear before me empty-handed. 16 And you will keep the Feast of Harvest, with the firstfruits of your work, what you sow in the field. And you will keep the Feast of Harvest Gathering when the year goes out, when you gather your work from the field. 17 Three times in the year all your men will appear before the Lord Yahweh.
18 “‘You will not sacrifice the blood of my sacrifice together with food with yeast, and you will not leave the fat of my feast overnight until morning.
19 “‘The best of the firstfruits of your land you will bring to the house of Yahweh your God.
“‘You will not boil a young goat[b] in its mother’s milk.
Reasons for Loyal Obedience
20 “‘Look, I am about to send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Be attentive to him and listen to his voice; do not rebel against him, because he will not forgive your transgression, for my name is in him. 22 But if you listen attentively to his voice and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. 23 When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites[c] and the Hittites[d] and the Perizzites[e] and the Canaanites[f] and the Hivites[g] and the Jebusites,[h] I will wipe them out.
24 “‘You will not bow to their gods, and you will not serve them, and you will not act according to their actions, because you will utterly demolish them, and you will utterly break their stone pillars. 25 And you will serve Yahweh your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will remove sickness from among you. 26 There will be no one suffering miscarriage or infertile in your land. I will make full the number of your days.[i]
27 “‘I will release my terror before you, and I will throw into confusion all the people against whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their back to you.[j] 28 And I will send the hornet before you, and it will drive out the Hivites,[k] the Canaanites,[l] and the Hittites[m] from before you. 29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become a desolation and the wild animals[n] multiply against you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you until you are fruitful and take possession of the land.
31 “‘And I will set your boundary from the Red Sea[o] and up to the sea of the Philistines and from the desert up to the river,[p] because I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out from before you. 32 You will not make a covenant with them and with their gods. 33 They will not live in your land, lest they cause you to sin against me when you serve their gods, for it will be a snare to you.’”
Confirming the Covenant
24 And to Moses he said, “Go up to Yahweh—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy from the elders of Israel—and you will worship at a distance. 2 And Moses alone[q] will come near to Yahweh, and they will not come near, and the people will not go up with him.”
3 And Moses came, and he told the people all the words of Yahweh and all the regulations. And all the people answered with one voice, and they said, “All the words that Yahweh has spoken we will do.”
4 And Moses wrote all the words of Yahweh, and he rose early in the morning, and he built an altar at the base of the mountain and set up twelve memorial stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men from the Israelites,[r] and they offered burnt offerings, and they sacrificed sacrifices as fellowship offerings to Yahweh using bulls. 6 And Moses took half of the blood, and he put it in bowls, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 And he took the scroll of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do, and we will listen.”[s] 8 And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and he said, “Look, the blood of the covenant that Yahweh has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
9 And Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy from the elders of Israel went up. 10 And they saw the God of Israel, and what was under his feet was like sapphire tile work and like the very heavens for clearness. 11 And toward the leaders of the Israelites[t] he did not stretch out his hand, and they beheld God, and they ate, and they drank.
The Start of Forty Days and Nights on Mount Sinai
12 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and be there, and I will give you the tablets of stone and the law and the commandments that I have written to instruct them.” 13 And Moses got up, and Joshua, his assistant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.
14 And to the elders he said, “Wait for us here until we return to you. And look, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute[u] will bring it to you.”
15 And Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 And the glory of Yahweh settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days, and he called to Moses on the seventh day from the midst of the cloud. 17 And the appearance of the glory of Yahweh was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain to the eyes of[v] the Israelites.[w] 18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and he went up the mountain, and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Instruction to Collect Materials
25 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the Israelites,[x] and let them bring to me a contribution. You will receive my contribution from every man whose heart prompts him. 3 And this is the contribution that you will receive from them—gold and silver and bronze, 4 blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine linen and goat hair, 5 and red-dyed ram skins, and fine leather,[y] and acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamp, balsam oils for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones and stones for mountings on the ephod and the breast piece. 8 And make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell in the midst of them, 9 according to all that I show you—the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its equipment—and so you will do.
Instructions for Making the Ark of the Covenant
10 “And they will make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits its length and a cubit and a half its width and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And you will overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside you will overlay it, and you will make on it a gold molding all around. 12 And you will cast for it four gold rings, and you will put them on its four feet, with two rings on its one side and two rings on its second side. 13 And you will make poles of acacia wood, and you will overlay them with gold. 14 And you will put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark with them. 15 In the rings of the ark will be the poles; they will not be removed from it.[z] 16 And you will put into the ark the testimony that I will give to you.
17 “And you will make an atonement cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18 And you will make two cherubim of gold; you will make them of hammered work at the two ends of the atonement cover. 19 And make one cherub at one end[aa] and one cherub at the other end[ab] of the atonement cover; you will make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 And the cherubim will be with outspread wings above, covering with their wings over the atonement cover and facing each other;[ac] the faces of the cherubim will be toward the atonement cover. 21 And you will put the atonement cover above onto the ark, and into the ark you will put the testimony that I will give you. 22 And I will meet you there, and I will speak with you from over the atonement cover, from between the two cherubim that are to be on the ark of the testimony—all that I will command you to the Israelites.[ad]
Instructions for Making a Table and a Lampstand
23 “And you will make a table of acacia wood, two cubits its length and a cubit its width and a cubit and a half its height. 24 And you will overlay it with pure gold, and you will make for it a gold molding all around. 25 And you will make for it a handbreadth rim all around, and you will make a gold molding for its rim all around. 26 And you will make four gold rings for it, and you will put the rings on the four corners where its four legs[ae] are. 27 The rings will be near the rim as holders[af] for poles to carry the table. 28 And you will make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the table will be carried with them. 29 And you will make its plates and its ladles[ag] and its pitchers and its bowls with which libations will be poured; of pure gold you will make them. 30 And you will put on the table the bread of presence to be before me continually.
31 “And you will make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand will be made of hammered work—its base and its branch,[ah] its cups, its buds, and its blossoms will be from it. 32 And six branches will be going out from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of the lampstand from its second side. 33 Three almond-flower cups will be on the one branch with a bud and a blossom, and three almond-flower cups will be on the one branch with a bud and a blossom—likewise for the six branches going out from the lampstand. 34 And on the lampstand will be four almond-flower cups, with its buds and its blossoms. 35 And a bud will be under the two branches that come from it, and a bud under the two branches from it, and a bud under the two branches from it, likewise for the six branches coming out from the lampstand. 36 Their buds and their branches will be from it, all of it one piece of pure gold hammered work. 37 And you will make its seven lamps, and its lamps will be set up, and it will give light in the space in front of it.[ai] 38 And its snuffers and its fire pans will be pure gold. 39 It will be made from a talent of pure gold, with all these pieces of equipment. 40 And see and make all according to their pattern, which you were shown in the mountain.
The Arrival of the Son of Man
29 “And immediately after the tribulation of those days,
‘the sun will be darkened
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will fall from heaven,
and the powers of heaven will be shaken.’[a]
30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,[b] and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven[c] with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect together from the four winds, from one end of heaven[d] to the other end of it.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
32 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch has already become tender and puts forth its[e] leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also you, when you see all these things, know[f] that he is near, at the door. 34 Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all these things take place! 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The Unknown Day and Hour
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows—not even the angels of heaven nor the Son—except the Father alone. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 38 For as in the days[g] before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark. 39 And they did not know anything[h] until the deluge came and swept them[i] all away. So also the coming of the Son of Man will be. 40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know what day your Lord is coming! 43 But understand this: that if the master of the house had known what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think he will come.[j]
A Faithful Slave and an Unfaithful Slave
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave whom the master has put in charge of his household slaves to give them their[k] food at the right time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his master will find so doing when he[l] comes back. 47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave should say to himself,[m] ‘My master is staying away for a long time,’ 49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and at an hour that he does not know, 51 and will cut him in two and assign his place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!
Thanksgiving for Answered Prayer
A psalm; a song for the dedication of the house.[a] Of David.[b]
30 I will exalt you, O Yahweh,
because you have drawn me up,
and have not made my enemies rejoice over me.
2 O Yahweh, my God,
I cried for help to you,
and you healed me.
3 O Yahweh, you have brought my life up from Sheol.
You preserved me alive
from among those going down [c] to the pit.
4 Sing praises to Yahweh, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy fame.[d]
5 For there is a moment in his anger;
there is a lifetime in his favor.
Weeping lodges for the evening,
but in the morning comes rejoicing.
6 But as for me, I had said in my prosperity,
“I shall not be moved ever.”
7 O Yahweh, by your favor
you caused my strong mountain to stand.
You hid your face. I was bewildered.
8 To you, O Yahweh, I called,
and to the Lord I pleaded for grace saying,
9 “What gain is there in my death,[e]
in my going down into the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 “O Yahweh, hear and be gracious to me.
O Yahweh, be my helper.”
11 You have turned my wailing into my dancing.
You have removed my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy
12 so that I[f] may sing praises to you
and not be quiet.
O Yahweh, my God,
I will give thanks to you forever.
Reiteration of the Warning Against a Strange Woman
24 And now, my children, listen to me,
and be attentive to the sayings of my mouth.
25 May your heart not turn aside to her ways;
do not stray into her path.
26 For many slain she has laid low,
and countless[a] are all of her killings.
27 The ways of Sheol[b] are her house,
descending to chambers of death.
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