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Exodus 23:20-24:18
Contemporary English Version
Exodus 23:20-24:18
Contemporary English Version
A Promise and a Warning
The Lord said:
20 I am sending an angel to protect you and to lead you into the land I have ready for you. 21 Carefully obey everything the angel says, because I am giving him complete authority, and he won't tolerate rebellion. 22 If you faithfully obey him, I will be a fierce enemy of your enemies. 23 My angel will lead you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. 24 Don't worship their gods or follow their customs. Instead, destroy their idols and shatter their stone images.
25 Worship only me, the Lord your God! I will bless you with plenty of food and water and keep you strong. 26 Your women will give birth to healthy children, and everyone will live a long life.
27 I will terrify those nations and make your enemies so confused that they will run from you. 28 I will make the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites panic as you approach. 29 But I won't do all this in the first year, because the land would become poor, and wild animals would be everywhere. 30 Instead, I will force out your enemies little by little and give your nation time to grow strong enough to take over the land.
31 I will see that your borders reach from the Red Sea[a] to the Euphrates River and from the Mediterranean Sea to the desert. I will let you defeat the people who live there, and you will force them out of the land. 32 But you must not make any agreements with them or with their gods. 33 Don't let them stay in your land. They will trap you into sinning against me and worshiping their gods.
The People Agree To Obey God
24 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on this mountain. Bring along Aaron, as well as his two sons Nadab and Abihu, and 70 of Israel's leaders. They must worship me at a distance, 2 but you are to come near. Don't let anyone else come up.”
3 Moses gave the Lord's instructions to the people, and they all promised, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded!” 4 Then Moses wrote down what the Lord had said.
The next morning Moses got up early. He built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up a large stone for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 He also sent some young men to burn offerings and to sacrifice bulls as special offerings[b] to the Lord. 6 Moses put half of the blood from the animals into bowls and sprinkled the rest on the altar. 7 Then he read aloud the Lord's commands and promises, and the people shouted, “We will obey the Lord and do everything he has commanded!”
8 (A) Moses took the blood from the bowls and sprinkled it on the people. Next, he told them, “With this blood the Lord makes his agreement with you.”
9 Moses and Aaron, together with Nadab and Abihu and the 70 leaders, went up the mountain 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something that looked like a pavement made out of sapphire,[c] and it was as bright as the sky.
11 Even though these leaders of Israel saw God, he did not punish them. So they ate and drank.
Moses on Mount Sinai
12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up on the mountain and stay here for a while. I will give you the two flat stones on which I have written the laws that my people must obey.” 13 Moses and Joshua his assistant got ready, then Moses started up the mountain to meet with God.
14 Moses had told the leaders, “Wait here until we come back. Aaron and Hur will be with you, and they can settle any arguments while we are away.”
15 When Moses went up on Mount Sinai, a cloud covered it, 16 and the bright glory of the Lord came down and stayed there. The cloud covered the mountain for six days, and on the seventh day the Lord told Moses to come into the cloud. 17-18 (B) Moses did so and stayed there 40 days and nights. To the people, the Lord's glory looked like a blazing fire on top of the mountain.
Footnotes
- 23.31 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph, here referring to the Gulf of Aqaba, since the term is extended to include the northeastern arm of the Red Sea (see also the note at 13.18).
- 24.5 special offerings: Often translated “peace offerings,” which were to make peace between God and his people, who ate certain parts of the sacrificed animal.
- 24.10 sapphire: A precious stone, blue in color.
Exodus 23:20-24:18
New International Version
Exodus 23:20-24:18
New International Version
God’s Angel to Prepare the Way
20 “See, I am sending an angel(A) ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.(B) 21 Pay attention to him and listen(C) to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive(D) your rebellion,(E) since my Name(F) is in him. 22 If you listen carefully to what he says and do(G) all that I say, I will be an enemy(H) to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. 23 My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites,(I) and I will wipe them out. 24 Do not bow down before their gods or worship(J) them or follow their practices.(K) You must demolish(L) them and break their sacred stones(M) to pieces. 25 Worship the Lord your God,(N) and his blessing(O) will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness(P) from among you, 26 and none will miscarry or be barren(Q) in your land. I will give you a full life span.(R)
27 “I will send my terror(S) ahead of you and throw into confusion(T) every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.(U) 28 I will send the hornet(V) ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites(W) out of your way. 29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals(X) too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession(Y) of the land.
31 “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea[a] to the Mediterranean Sea,[b] and from the desert to the Euphrates River.(Z) I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out(AA) before you. 32 Do not make a covenant(AB) with them or with their gods. 33 Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare(AC) to you.”
The Covenant Confirmed
24 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron,(AD) Nadab and Abihu,(AE) and seventy of the elders(AF) of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, 2 but Moses alone is to approach(AG) the Lord; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.”
3 When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws,(AH) they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.”(AI) 4 Moses then wrote(AJ) down everything the Lord had said.
He got up early the next morning and built an altar(AK) at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars(AL) representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings(AM) and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings(AN) to the Lord. 6 Moses(AO) took half of the blood(AP) and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed(AQ) against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant(AR) and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.”(AS)
8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people(AT) and said, “This is the blood of the covenant(AU) that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders(AV) of Israel went up 10 and saw(AW) the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli,(AX) as bright blue as the sky.(AY) 11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw(AZ) God, and they ate and drank.(BA)
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(BB) with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”
13 Then Moses set out with Joshua(BC) his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain(BD) of God. 14 He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur(BE) are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute(BF) can go to them.”
15 When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud(BG) covered it, 16 and the glory(BH) of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai.(BI) For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.(BJ) 17 To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire(BK) 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(BL) days and forty nights.(BM)
Footnotes
- Exodus 23:31 Or the Sea of Reeds
- Exodus 23:31 Hebrew to the Sea of the Philistines
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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