The Daily Audio Bible

Moses Makes New Pieces of Stone

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Cut two pieces of stone like the first ones. And I will write on the stones the words that were on the first stones which you broke. ² So be ready in the morning. Come up in the morning to Mount Sinai. And stand before Me on the top of the mountain. ³ No one is to come up with you. Do not let anyone be seen on the whole mountain. Even the sheep and the cattle may not eat in front of the mountain.” ⁴ So Moses cut two pieces of stone like the first ones. Then he got up early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord told him. And he took the two pieces of stone in his hand. ⁵ The Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with Moses as he called upon the name of the Lord. ⁶ Then the Lord passed by in front of him, saying, “The Lord, the Lord God, with loving-pity and loving-favor, slow to anger, filled with loving-kindness and truth, ⁷ keeping loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving wrong-doing and sin. But He will not let the guilty go without being punished. He brings the sin of fathers down upon the children, even the great-grandchildren.” ⁸ Moses was quick to put his face to the ground and worship. ⁹ And Moses said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in Your eyes, I pray, let the Lord go with us, even if the people are strong-willed. Forgive our wrong-doing and our sin. And take us for Your own.”

The Agreement Made Alive Again

¹⁰ Then God said, “See, I am going to make an agreement. I will do powerful works in front of all your people which have never been done on earth among any nation. All the people with whom you live will see the work of the Lord. For what I am going to do with you will fill people with fear. ¹¹ Be sure to do what I am telling you this day. See, I am going to drive out of your way the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. ¹² Take care to make no agreement with the people of the land where you are going. It would be a trap to you. ¹³ Instead you are to tear down their altars, break their objects of worship, and cut down their false gods. ¹⁴ For you must not worship any other god. For the Lord, Whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. ¹⁵ So do not make an agreement with the people of the land. Or when they follow their desire with their gods and give gifts to their gods, they would ask you to eat of their gift used in worship. ¹⁶ And you would marry your sons to their daughters who follow their gods. And they would lead your sons to follow their gods also. ¹⁷ Do not make any gods for yourself.

¹⁸ “Keep the special supper of bread without yeast. Eat bread without yeast for seven days as I told you, at the time set aside for it in the month of Abib. For you came out of Egypt in the month of Abib. ¹⁹ Every first-born belongs to Me, and all your male animals, the first-born from cattle and sheep. ²⁰ But the life of a first-born donkey should be paid for with the blood of a lamb. If you do not pay for its life, you should break its neck. Pay for the life of all your first-born sons with the blood of a lamb. No one is to come before Me without a gift.

²¹ “Work six days, but rest on the seventh day. Rest even during plowing time and gathering time. ²² Have the special supper of weeks at the first gathering of grain. Have the special supper of gathering time at the end of the year. ²³ Three times a year all your males are to come before the Lord God, the God of Israel. ²⁴ For I will drive nations out of your way and give you more land. No man will desire to have your land when you go to show yourselves before the Lord your God.

²⁵ “Do not give the blood of My gift together with bread made with yeast. Do not leave any of the gift of the special supper of the Passover until morning. ²⁶ Bring the first of the first-fruits of your ground into the house of the Lord your God. Do not boil the meat of a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

²⁷ The Lord said to Moses, “Write these words. For by these words I have made an agreement with you and with Israel.” ²⁸ Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the stones the words of the agreement, the Ten Great Laws.

Moses Goes Down from Mount Sinai

²⁹ Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two stone writings in his hand. He did not know that the skin of his face was shining because of his speaking with the Lord. ³⁰ When Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, they saw that the skin of his face was shining. They were afraid to come near him. ³¹ But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the people returned to him. And Moses spoke to them. ³² After this all the people of Israel came near. Moses told them to do all the Lord had said to him on Mount Sinai. ³³ When Moses had finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a piece of cloth. ³⁴ But whenever Moses went before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take off the face covering until he came out. Then he would tell the people of Israel what the Lord had said for them to do. ³⁵ The people of Israel saw that the skin of Moses’ face shone. So Moses would put the covering over his face again until he went in to speak with the Lord.

The Seventh Day—a Holy Day

35 Then Moses gathered together all the people of Israel, saying, “These are the things that the Lord has told you to do. ² Work may be done for six days. But the seventh day will be a holy day for you, a Day of Rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on this day will be put to death. ³ Do not make a fire in any of your tents on the Day of Rest.”

Gifts for the Meeting Tent

⁴ Moses said to all the people of Israel, “This is what the Lord has told you to do. ⁵ Take from among you a gift to the Lord. Whoever has a willing heart, let him bring the Lord’s gift: gold, silver and brass, ⁶ and blue, purple and red cloth, fine linen, cloth made from goat hair, ⁷ rams’ skins made red, badgers’ skins and acacia wood, ⁸ lamp oil, spices for the oil for holy use and for the sweet-smelling perfume, ⁹ onyx stones and stones to be set for the linen vest and the breast-piece.

Jesus or Barabbas Is to Go Free ^(A)

¹⁵ At the special supper each year the leader of the country would always let one person who was in prison go free. It would be the one the people wanted. ¹⁶ They had a man who was known by all the people whose name was Barabbas. ¹⁷ When they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to let go free? Should it be Barabbas or Jesus Who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ For the leader of the country knew the religious leaders had given Jesus over to him because they were jealous.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting in the place where he judges, his wife sent him this word, “Have nothing to do with that good Man. I have been troubled today in a dream about Him.”

²⁰ The head religious leaders and the other leaders talked the many people into asking for Barabbas to go free and for Jesus to be put to death. ²¹ The leader of the country said to them, “Which one of the two do you want me to let go free?” They said, “Barabbas.” ²² Pilate said to them, “Then what am I to do with Jesus Who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Nail Him to a cross!” ²³ Then Pilate said, “Why, what bad thing has He done?” But they cried out all the more, “Nail Him to a cross!”

²⁴ Pilate saw that he could do nothing. The people were making loud calls and there was much pushing around. He took water and washed his hands in front of the many people. He said, “I am not guilty of the blood of this good Man. This is your own doing.” ²⁵ Then all the people said, “Let His blood be on us and on our children!” ²⁶ Pilate let Barabbas go free but he had men whip Jesus. Then he handed Him over to be nailed to a cross.

The Crown of Thorns ^(B)

²⁷ Then the soldiers of Pilate took Jesus into a large room. A big group of soldiers gathered around Him. ²⁸ They took off His clothes and put a purple coat on Him. ²⁹ They put a crown of thorns on His head. They put a stick in His right hand. They got on their knees before Him and made fun of Him. They said, “Hello, King of the Jews!” ³⁰ They spit on Him. They took a stick and hit Him on the head. ³¹ After they had made fun of Him, they took the coat off and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him away to be nailed to a cross.

¹² Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord. Happy are the people He has chosen for His own.

¹³ The Lord looks from heaven. He sees all the sons of men. ¹⁴ From where He sits He looks upon all who live on the earth. ¹⁵ He made the hearts of them all. And He understands whatever they do. ¹⁶ No king is saved by the power of his strong army. A soldier is not saved by great strength. ¹⁷ A horse cannot be trusted to win a battle. Its great strength cannot save anyone.

¹⁸ See, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, and on those who hope for His loving-kindness, ¹⁹ to save their soul from death, and to keep them alive when there is nothing to eat. ²⁰ Our soul waits for the Lord. He is our help and our safe cover. ²¹ For our heart is full of joy in Him, because we trust in His holy name. ²² O Lord, let Your loving-kindness be upon us as we put our hope in You.

Wisdom—or the Way to Hell

9 Wisdom has built her house. She has made seven pillars to hold it up. ² She has cooked her food, and has mixed her wine, and she has set her table. ³ She has sent out the young women who work for her. She calls from the highest places of the city, ⁴ “Whoever is easy to fool, let him turn in here!” She says to the one without understanding, ⁵ “Come and eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed. ⁶ Turn from your foolish way, and live. Walk in the way of understanding.”