The New Stone Tablets

34 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make two more flat stones like the first two that were broken. I will write the same words on these stones that were written on the first two stones. ²Be ready tomorrow morning and come up on Mount Sinai. Stand before me there on the top of the mountain. ³No person will be allowed to come with you. No person should even be seen any place on the mountain. Even your herds of animals or flocks of sheep will not be allowed to eat grass at the bottom of the mountain.” ⁴So Moses made two more flat stones like the first ones. Then early the next morning he went up Mount Sinai. Moses did everything like the Lord had commanded him. Moses carried the two flat stones with him. ⁵After Moses was on the mountain, the Lord came down to him in a cloud. The Lord stood there with Moses, and Moses called the Lord’s name.* ⁶The Lord passed in front of Moses and said, “YAHWEH,* the Lord, is the kind and merciful God. The Lord is slow to become angry. The Lord is full of great love. The Lord can be trusted. ⁷The Lord shows his kindness to thousands {of generations}. The Lord forgives* people for the wrong things they do. But the Lord does not forget to punish guilty people. The Lord will punish not only the guilty people, but their children, their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren will suffer for the bad things those people do.*” ⁸Then Moses quickly bowed to the ground and worshiped {the Lord}. Moses said, ⁹“Lord, if you are pleased with me, then please go with us. I know that these are stubborn people. But forgive us for the bad things we did! Accept us as your people.” ¹⁰Then the Lord said, “I am making this agreement with all of your people. I will do amazing things that have never before been done for any other nation on earth. The people with you will see that I, the Lord, am very great. The people will see the wonderful things that I will do for you. ¹¹Obey the things I command you today, and I will force your enemies to leave your land. I will force out the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ¹²Be careful! Don’t make any agreement with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you make an agreement with those people, then it will bring you trouble. ¹³So destroy their altars.* Break the stones they worship. Cut down their idols.* ¹⁴Don’t worship any other god. I am YAHWEH KANAH—the jealous Lord. That is my name. I am E^LKANAH—the jealous God. ¹⁵“Be careful not to make any agreements with the people who live in that land. If you do this, then you might join them when they worship their gods. Those people will invite you to join them, and you will eat their sacrifices.* ¹⁶You might choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons. Those daughters serve false gods. They might lead your sons to do the same thing. ¹⁷“Don’t make idols.* ¹⁸“Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat that bread made without yeast like I commanded you before. Do this during the month I have chosen, the month of Abib.* Why? Because that is the month you came out of Egypt. ¹⁹“A woman’s first baby always belongs to me. Even the first animals that are born from your cattle or sheep belong to me. ²⁰If you want to keep a donkey that is the first born, then you can buy it with a lamb. But if you don’t buy that donkey with a lamb, then you must break the donkey’s neck. You must buy back all of your firstborn* sons from me. No person should come before me without a gift. ²¹“You will work for six days. But on the seventh day you must rest. You must rest even during the times of planting and harvesting. ²²“Celebrate the Festival of Weeks.* Use the first grain from the wheat harvest for this festival. And in the fall* celebrate the Festival of Harvest.* ²³“Three times each year all your men must go to be with the Master, the Lord, the God of Israel. ²⁴“When you go into your land, I will force your enemies out of that land. I will expand your borders—you will get more and more land. You will go before the Lord your God three times each year. At that time, no one will try to take your land from you. ²⁵“Whenever you offer blood from a sacrifice* to me, don’t offer yeast at the same time. “Don’t leave any of the meat from the Passover* meal until the next morning. ²⁶“Give the Lord the very first crops that you harvest. Bring those things to the house* of the Lord your God. “Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” ²⁷Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write all the things that I have told you. Those things are the Agreement that I made with you and the people of Israel.” ²⁸Moses stayed there with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights. Moses did not eat any food or drink any water. And he (the Lord) wrote the words of the Agreement (the Ten Commandments) on the two flat stones.

Moses’ Shining Face

²⁹Then Moses came down from Mount Sinai. He carried the two flat stones with the Agreement* on them. Moses’ face was shining because he had talked with the Lord. But Moses did not know this. ³⁰Aaron and all the people of Israel saw that Moses’ face was shining bright. So they were afraid to go near him. ³¹But Moses called to them. So Aaron and all the leaders of the people went to Moses. Moses talked with them. ³²After that, all the people of Israel came near Moses. And Moses gave them the commands that the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. ³³When Moses finished speaking to the people, he put a covering over his face. ³⁴Any time Moses went before the Lord to speak with him, Moses took off the covering. Then Moses would come out and tell the people of Israel the things the Lord commanded. ³⁵The people would see that Moses’ face was shining bright, so Moses would cover his face again. Moses kept his face covered until the next time he went in to speak with the Lord.

Moses called the Lord’s name Literally, “He called on the name of the Lord.” This might mean Moses worshiped the Lord, or it might mean the Lord spoke his name to Moses. YAHWEH This name, usually translated “Lord,” is like the Hebrew word meaning, “He is” or “He makes things exist.” forgives Or, “spares.” The Lord ... people do Or, “The Lord credits the guilt of the fathers to their children and grandchildren, to the third and fourth generation.” altar A table or raised area used for offering sacrifices. stones … idols Literally, “memorials … Asherah poles.” These were stone markers and wood poles that the people set up to help them remember and honor false gods. sacrifice(s) A gift to God. Usually, it was a special animal that was killed and burned on an altar. idols Statues of false gods that people worshiped. Abib Or, “spring.” This is Nisan, the first month of the ancient Jewish year. firstborn The first child born into a family. The firstborn son was very important in ancient times. Festival of Weeks Also called “Pentecost” or “Shavuoth.” fall Literally, “at the changing of the year.” Festival of Harvest Also called “Feast of Ingathering” or “Succoth.” Passover An important Jewish holy day. They ate a special meal on this day every spring to remember that God freed them from slavery in Egypt. house The Holy Tent (tabernacle) or temple, where God came to live among his people. Agreement Literally, “Proof.” The flat stones with the Ten Commandments written on them. These were proof of the Agreement between God and the people of Israel.

Rules About the Sabbath

35 Moses gathered all the people of Israel together. Moses said to them, “I will tell you the things the Lord has commanded you to do: ²“There are six days for working. But the seventh day will be a very special day of rest for you. You will honor the Lord by resting on that special day. Any person who works on the seventh day must be killed. ³On the Sabbath* you should not even light a fire in any of the places where you live.”

Things for the Holy Tent

⁴Moses said to all the people of Israel, “This is what the Lord commanded: ⁵Gather special gifts for the Lord. Each of you should decide in your heart what you will give. And then you should bring that gift to the Lord. Bring gold, silver, and bronze*; ⁶blue, purple, and red yarn and fine linen*; goat hair; ⁷ram skins dyed red and fine leather*; acacia wood; ⁸oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil* and spices for the sweet-smelling incense.* ⁹Also, bring onyx stones and other jewels to be put on the Ephod* and the Judgment Pouch.* ¹⁰All of you people who are skilled workers should make all of the things the Lord commanded: ¹¹the Holy Tent,* its outer tent, and its covering; the hooks, boards, braces, posts, and bases; ¹²the Holy Box,* its poles, the cover,* and the curtain that covers the area where the Box stays; ¹³the table and its poles, all the things on the table, and the special bread on the table; ¹⁴the lampstand that is used for light and the things used with the lampstand, the lamps, and oil for the light; ¹⁵the altar* for burning incense* and its poles; the anointing oil* and the sweet smelling incense; the curtain that covers the door at the entrance to the Holy Tent; ¹⁶the altar for burning offerings and its bronze* grating, the poles, and all the things used at the altar; the bronze bowl and its base; ¹⁷the curtains around the yard, their posts and bases, and the curtain that covers the entrance to the yard; ¹⁸the pegs used to support the Tent and {the wall of curtains around} the courtyard, and the ropes that tie to the pegs; ¹⁹and the special woven clothes for the priest to wear in the Holy Place.* These are the special clothes for Aaron the priest and his sons to wear. They will wear these clothes when they serve as priests.”

The Great Offering from the People

²⁰Then all the people of Israel went away from Moses. ²¹All the people who wanted to give came and brought a gift to the Lord. These gifts were used for making the Meeting Tent,* all the things in the Tent, and the special clothes. ²²All the men and women who wanted to give brought gold jewelry of all kinds. They brought pins,* earrings, rings, and other jewelry. They all gave their jewelry to the Lord. This was a special offering to the Lord. ²³Every person who had fine linen* and blue, purple, and red yarn brought it to the Lord. Any person who had goat hair or ram skins dyed red or fine leather* brought it to the Lord. ²⁴Every person who wanted to give silver or bronze* brought that as a gift to the Lord. Every person who had acacia wood came and gave it to the Lord. ²⁵Every skilled woman made fine linen and blue, purple, and red yarn. ²⁶And all the women who were skilled and wanted to help made cloth from the goat hair. ²⁷The leaders brought onyx stones and other jewels. These stones and jewels were put on the Ephod* and Judgment Pouch* of the priest. ²⁸The people also brought spices and olive oil. These things were used for the sweet-smelling incense,* the anointing oil,* and the oil for the lamps. ²⁹All the people of Israel that wanted to help brought gifts to the Lord. The people gave these gifts freely, because they wanted to. These gifts were used to make all the things the Lord had commanded Moses and the people to make.

Bezalel and Oholiab

³⁰Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “Look, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, from the family group of Judah. (Uri was the son of Hur.) ³¹The Lord filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God—he gave Bezalel special skill and knowledge to do all kinds of things. ³²He can design and make things with gold, silver, and bronze.* ³³He can cut and set stones and jewels. Bezalel can work with wood and make all kinds of things. ³⁴The Lord has given Bezalel and Oholiab special skills to teach other people. (Oholiab was the son of Ahisamach from the family group of Dan.) ³⁵The Lord has given both of these men special skill to do all kinds of work. They are able to do the work of carpenters and metal workers. They can weave cloth with designs in it from the blue, purple, and red yarn and fine linen.* And they are able to weave things with wool.

Sabbath Saturday, a special day of rest and worship for Jews. bronze A metal. The Hebrew word can mean “copper,” “bronze,” or “brass.” linen Thread or cloth made from the fibers of the flax plant. fine leather A special kind of leather made from the skin of an animal like a seal or sea cow. anointing oil Fine olive oil that was poured on things or people to show they were chosen for a special work or purpose. incense Special dried tree sap. Burned to make a sweet-smelling smoke, it was offered as a gift to God. Ephod A special coat worn by the priests. Judgment Pouch A piece of clothing like a bib or an apron that covered the high priest’s chest. See Ex. 28:15-30. Holy Tent Or, “tabernacle,” the tent where God came to live among his people. Holy Box The Box of the Agreement, the box containing the flat stones with the Ten Commandments written on them and other things that proved God was with the people of Israel during their time in the Sinai desert. cover Also called “mercy seat.” The Hebrew word can mean “lid,” “cover” or “the place where sins are forgiven.” altar A table or raised area used for offering sacrifices. bronze A metal. The Hebrew word can mean “copper,” “bronze,” or “brass.�� Holy Place One of the rooms in the Holy Tent. Meeting Tent The Holy Tent (tabernacle), where the people of Israel went to meet with God. pins Or, “hooks.” These were like safety pins and were used like buttons to fasten their robes. linen Thread or cloth made from the fibers of the flax plant.