| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1Then the LORD instructed Moses: “Come up here to me, and bring along Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders. All of you must worship from a distance. | 1But to Moses the LORD said, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from a distance. |
| 2Only Moses is allowed to come near to the LORD. The others must not come near, and none of the other people are allowed to climb up the mountain with him.” | 2Moses alone may come near the LORD, but the others must not come near, nor may the people go up with him." |
| 3Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the LORD had given him. All the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the LORD has commanded.” | 3Moses came and told the people all the LORD's words and all the decisions. All the people answered together, "We are willing to do all the words that the LORD has said," |
| 4Then Moses carefully wrote down all the LORD’s instructions. Early the next morning Moses got up and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. | 4and Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early in the morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain and arranged twelve standing stones--according to the twelve tribes of Israel. |
| 5Then he sent some of the young Israelite men to present burnt offerings and to sacrifice bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. | 5He sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls for peace offerings to the LORD. |
| 6Moses drained half the blood from these animals into basins. The other half he splattered against the altar. | 6Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and half of the blood he splashed on the altar. |
| 7Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people. Again they all responded, “We will do everything the LORD has commanded. We will obey.” | 7He took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people, and they said, "We are willing to do and obey all that the LORD has spoken." |
| 8Then Moses took the blood from the basins and splattered it over the people, declaring, “Look, this blood confirms the covenant the LORD has made with you in giving you these instructions.” | 8So Moses took the blood and splashed it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words." |
| 9Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain. | 9Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up, |
| 10There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. | 10and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear like the sky itself. |
| 11And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence! | 11But he did not lay a hand on the leaders of the Israelites, so they saw God, and they ate and they drank. |
| 12Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people.” | 12The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me to the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandments that I have written, so that you may teach them." |
| 13So Moses and his assistant Joshua set out, and Moses climbed up the mountain of God. | 13So Moses set out with Joshua his attendant, and Moses went up the mountain of God. |
| 14Moses told the elders, “Stay here and wait for us until we come back. Aaron and Hur are here with you. If anyone has a dispute while I am gone, consult with them.” | 14He told the elders, "Wait for us in this place until we return to you. Here are Aaron and Hur with you. Whoever has any matters of dispute can approach them." |
| 15Then Moses climbed up the mountain, and the cloud covered it. | 15Moses went up the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. |
| 16And the glory of the LORD settled down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from inside the cloud. | 16The glory of the LORD resided on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called to Moses from within the cloud. |
| 17To the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, the glory of the LORD appeared at the summit like a consuming fire. | 17Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in plain view of the people. |
| 18Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights. | 18Moses went into the cloud when he went up the mountain, and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. |
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