People Affirm Their Covenant with God

1Then He said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance. 2Moses alone, however, shall approach the LORD, but they shall not approach, nor shall the people come up with him.”

3Then Moses came and reported to the people all the words of the LORD and all the [a]ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!” 4And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Then he got up early in the morning, and built an altar [b]at the foot of the mountain with twelve memorial stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5And he sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. 6Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it [c]as the people listened; and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” 8So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has [d]made with you [e]in accordance with all these words.”

9Then Moses went up [f]with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet [g]there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, [h]as clear as the sky itself. 11Yet He did not reach out with His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.

12Now the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and [i]stay there, and I will give you the stone tablets [j]with the Law and the [k]commandments which I have written for their instruction.” 13So Moses got up [l]along with Joshua his [m]servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. 14But to the elders he said, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever [n]has a legal matter, have him approach them.” 15Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16The glory of the LORD [o]settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. 17And to the eyes of the sons of Israel, the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. 18Then Moses entered the midst of the cloud [p]as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.