24 3 The people promise to obey God. 4 Moses writeth the civil Laws. 9, 13 Moses returneth into the mountain. 14 Aaron and Hur have the charge of the people.  18 Moses was forty days and forty nights in the mountain.

Now he had [a]said unto Moses, Come up to the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the Elders of Israel, and ye shall worship afar off.

And Moses himself alone shall come near to the Lord, but they shall not come near, neither shall the people go up with him.

[b]Afterward Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the [c]Laws: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, (A)All the things which the Lord hath said, will we do.

And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord and rose up early, and set up an (B)altar [d]under the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

And he sent young [e]men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings of beeves, and sacrificed peace offerings unto the Lord.

Then Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.

After, he took the [f]book of the covenant, and read it in the audience of the people: who said, All that the Lord hath said, we will do, and be obedient.

Then Moses took the (C)blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the [g]blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these things.

¶ Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the Elders of Israel.

10 And they [h]saw the God of Israel, and under his feet was as it were a [i]work of a Sapphire stone, and as the very heaven when it is clear.

11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he [j]laid not his hand: also they saw God, and [k]did eat and drink.

12 ¶ And the Lord [l]said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mountain, and be there, and I will give thee [m]tables of stone, and the Law, and the Commandment, which I have written, for to teach [n]them.

13 Then Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God,

14 And said unto the Elders, Tarry us here until we come again unto you: and behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: whosoever hath any matters, let him come to them.

15 Then Moses went up to the mount, and the cloud covered the mountain,

16 And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered [o]it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

17 And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like [p]consuming fire on the top of the mountain, in the eyes of the children of Israel.

18 And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud, and went up to the mountain and Moses was in the (D)mount forty days and forty nights.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 24:1 When he called him up to the mountain to give him the Laws, beginning at Exod. 20, hitherto.
  2. Exodus 24:3 When he had received these laws in mount Sinai.
  3. Exodus 24:3 Hebrew, judgments.
  4. Exodus 24:4 Or, at the foot of the mountain.
  5. Exodus 24:5 For as yet the Priesthood was not given to Levi.
  6. Exodus 24:7 Or, the book of the Law.
  7. Exodus 24:8 Which blood signifieth that the covenant broken cannot be satisfied without blood shedding.
  8. Exodus 24:10 As perfectly as their infirmities could behold his majesty.
  9. Exodus 24:10 Hebrew, brick work.
  10. Exodus 24:11 He made them not afraid, nor punished them.
  11. Exodus 24:11 That is, rejoiced.
  12. Exodus 24:12 The second time.
  13. Exodus 24:12 Signifying the hardness of our hearts, except God do write his laws therein by his Spirit, Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 11:19; 2 Cor. 3:3; Heb. 8:10 and 10:16.
  14. Exodus 24:12 To wit, the people.
  15. Exodus 24:16 Or, him.
  16. Exodus 24:17 The Lord appeareth like devouring fire to carnal men: but to them that he draweth with his Spirit, he is like pleasant Sapphire.

The Covenant Confirmed

24 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron,(A) Nadab and Abihu,(B) and seventy of the elders(C) of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, but Moses alone is to approach(D) the Lord; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.”

When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws,(E) they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.”(F) Moses then wrote(G) down everything the Lord had said.

He got up early the next morning and built an altar(H) at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars(I) representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings(J) and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings(K) to the Lord. Moses(L) took half of the blood(M) and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed(N) against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant(O) and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.”(P)

Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people(Q) and said, “This is the blood of the covenant(R) that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders(S) of Israel went up 10 and saw(T) the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli,(U) as bright blue as the sky.(V) 11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw(W) God, and they ate and drank.(X)

12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone(Y) with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

13 Then Moses set out with Joshua(Z) his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain(AA) of God. 14 He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur(AB) are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute(AC) can go to them.”

15 When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud(AD) covered it, 16 and the glory(AE) of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai.(AF) For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.(AG) 17 To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire(AH) on top of the mountain. 18 Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty(AI) days and forty nights.(AJ)