Bible in 90 Days
19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and cavalry went into the sea, the Lord made the water of the sea flow back over them. However, the Israelites had gone through the sea on dry ground.
The Song of Miriam
20 Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand. All the women, dancing with tambourines, followed her. 21 Miriam sang to them:
“Sing to the Lord.
He has won a glorious victory.
He has thrown horses and their riders into the sea.”
God Provides Water for the Israelites
22 Moses led Israel away from the Red Sea into the desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink the water because it tasted bitter. That’s why the place was called Marah [Bitter Place]. 24 The people complained about Moses by asking, “What are we supposed to drink?”
25 Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed [a] him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord set down laws and rules for them to live by, and there he tested them. 26 He said, “If you will listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what he considers right, if you pay attention to his commands and obey all his laws, I will never make you suffer any of the diseases I made the Egyptians suffer, because I am the Lord, who heals you.”
27 Next, they went to Elim, where there were 12 springs and 70 palm trees. They camped there by the water.
The Lord Provides Manna and Quails for the Israelites to Eat
16 The whole community of Israelites moved from Elim and came to the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. This was on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community complained about Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only the Lord had let us die in Egypt! There we sat by our pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted! You brought us out into this desert to let us all starve to death!”
4 The Lord said to Moses, “I’m going to send you food from heaven like rain. Each day the people should go out and gather only what they need for that day. In this way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. 5 But on the sixth day when they prepare what they bring home, it should be twice as much as they gather on other days.”
6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt. 7 In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard you complaining about him. Why are you complaining about us?” 8 Moses also said, “The Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening and all the food you want in the morning. The Lord has heard you complaining about him. Who are we? You’re not complaining about us but about the Lord.”
9 Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole community of Israelites, ‘Come into the Lord’s presence. He has heard you complaining.’ ”
10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole community of Israelites, they looked toward the desert. Suddenly, they saw the glory of the Lord in the ⌞column of⌟ smoke.
11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I’ve heard the Israelites complaining. Tell them, ‘At dusk you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat all the food you want. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”
13 That evening quails came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, the ground was covered with a thin layer of flakes like frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they asked each other, “What is this?” because they didn’t know what it was.
Moses said to them, “It’s the food the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: Each of you should gather as much as you can eat. Take two quarts for each person in your tent.”
17 So that is what the Israelites did. Some gathered more, some less. 18 They measured it into two-quart containers. Those who had gathered more didn’t have too much. Those who had gathered less didn’t have too little. They gathered as much as they could eat.
19 Then Moses said to them, “No one may keep any of it until morning.”
20 But some of them didn’t listen to Moses. They kept part of it until morning, and it was full of worms and smelled bad. So Moses was angry with them.
21 Each morning they gathered as much food as they could eat. When the sun was hot, it melted away. 22 But on the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, four quarts per person. All the leaders of the community came to Moses and told him about it.
23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord said: Tomorrow is a day of rest—a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Save all that’s left over, and keep it until tomorrow morning.”
24 So they saved it until the next morning as Moses had commanded, but it didn’t smell or have worms in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a day of rest—a holy day dedicated to the Lord. You won’t find anything on the ground today. 26 You can gather food on six days, but on the seventh day, the day of rest, you won’t find any.”
27 On the seventh day some people went out to gather food, but they didn’t find any. 28 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to do what I have commanded and instructed you to do? 29 Remember: The Lord has given you this day of rest as a holy day. That’s why he gives you enough food on the sixth day for two days. On the seventh day stay in your place—no one is to go out. Everyone, stay where you are.” 30 So the people never worked on the seventh day of the week.
31 The Israelites called the food manna. It was like coriander seeds. It was white and tasted like wafers made with honey.
32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: Take two quarts of manna to be kept for your descendants. This way they will see the food that I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.”
33 Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, put two quarts of manna in it, and put it in the Lord’s presence to be kept for your descendants.” 34 Aaron put the jar of manna in front of the words of God’s promise to be kept there, as the Lord commanded Moses.
35 The Israelites ate manna for 40 years until they came to a place to settle. They ate manna until they came to the border of Canaan.
36 (Now, the standard dry measure at that time held 20 quarts.)
The Lord Provides Water for the Israelites from a Rock
17 The whole community of Israelites left the desert of Sin and traveled from place to place as the Lord commanded them. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they complained to Moses by saying, “Give us water to drink!”
Moses said to them, “Why are you complaining to me? Why are you testing the Lord?”
3 But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses and asked, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Was it to make us, our children, and our livestock die of thirst?”
4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They’re almost ready to stone me!”
5 The Lord answered Moses, “Bring some of the leaders of Israel with you, and go to where the people can see you. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile River. 6 I’ll be standing in front of you there by a rock at Mount Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.”
Moses did this while the leaders of Israel watched him.
7 He named that place Massah [Testing] and Meribah [Complaining] because the Israelites complained and because they tested the Lord, asking, “Is the Lord with us or not?”
God Defeats the Amalekites
8 The Amalekites fought Israel at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men. Then fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill. I will hold in my hand the staff God told me to take along.”
10 Joshua did as Moses told him and fought the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel would win, but as soon as he put his hands down, the Amalekites would start to win. 12 Eventually, Moses’ hands felt heavy. So Aaron and Hur took a rock, put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron held up one hand, and Hur held up the other. His hands remained steady until sunset. 13 So Joshua defeated the Amalekite army in battle.
14 The Lord said to Moses, “Write this reminder on a scroll, and make sure that Joshua hears it, too: I will completely erase any memory of the Amalekites from the earth.”
15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord Is My Banner. 16 He said, “Because a hand was lifted against the Lord’s throne, he will be at war against the Amalekites from one generation to the next.”
Moses’ Father-in-law Visits Israel’s Camp
18 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people Israel and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 When Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had taken her in, 3 along with her two sons. The one son was named Gershom [Foreigner], because Moses said, “I was a foreigner living in another country.” 4 The name of the other was Eliezer [My God Is a Helper], because he said, “My father’s God was my helper. He saved me from Pharaoh’s death sentence.”
5 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought Moses’ sons and wife to Moses in the desert where he was camped near the mountain of God. 6 Jethro had sent word to Moses, “I’m coming to ⌞visit⌟ you, ⌞and I’m bringing⌟ your wife and her two sons.”
7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. Moses bowed with his face touching the ground and kissed Jethro. After they asked each other how they were, they went into the tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel, all the hardships they had had on the way, and how the Lord had saved them.
9 Jethro was delighted ⌞to hear⌟ about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the Egyptians. 10 He said, “Thank the Lord! He rescued you from the Egyptians and their Pharaoh and rescued these people from the control of the Egyptians, 11 who treated Israel with contempt. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods.”
12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the leaders of Israel came to eat the meal with Moses’ father-in-law in God’s presence.
13 The next day Moses was settling disagreements among the people. The people stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “Why are you doing this for the people? Why do you sit here alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”
15 Moses answered his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to find out God’s will. 16 Whenever they have a disagreement and bring it to me, I decide which person is right, and I tell them God’s laws and instructions.”
17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you’re doing is not good. 18 You and your people will wear yourselves out. This is too much work for you. You can’t do it alone! 19 Now listen to me, and I’ll give you some advice. May God be with you! You must be the people’s representative to God and bring their disagreements to him. 20 You must instruct them in the laws and the teachings, show them how to live, and tell them what to do.
21 “But choose capable men from all the people, men who fear God, men you can trust, men who hate corruption. Put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people. 22 Let them be the ones who usually settle disagreements among the people. They should bring all important cases to you, but they should settle all minor cases themselves. Make it easier for yourself by letting them help you. 23 If God commands you, and you do this, you will be able to continue your work, and all these people will have their disagreements settled so that they can go home.”
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 Moses chose capable men from all the Israelites and put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people. 26 These men were the ones who usually settled disagreements among the people. They would bring difficult cases to Moses, but they settled all minor ones themselves.
27 Moses sent his father-in-law on his way. So Jethro went back to his own country.
Israel at Mount Sinai
19 Two months after the Israelites left Egypt, they came to the desert of Sinai. 2 Israel had moved from Rephidim and had come into the desert of Sinai. They had set up camp there in front of the mountain.
3 Then Moses went up the mountain to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, “This is what you must say to the descendants of Jacob. Tell the Israelites, 4 ‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to my mountain. 5 If you carefully obey me and are faithful to the terms of my promise,[b] then out of all the nations you will be my own special possession, even though the whole world is mine. 6 You will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’ These are the words you must speak to the Israelites.”
7 So Moses went down and called for the leaders of the people. He repeated to them all the words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.
9 The Lord said to Moses, “I am coming to you in a storm cloud so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always believe you.” Moses told the Lord what the people had said.
10 So the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people, and tell them they have two days to get ready. They must set themselves apart as holy. Have them wash their clothes 11 and be ready by the day after tomorrow. On that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai as all the people watch. 12 Mark off a boundary around the mountain for the people, and tell them not to go up the mountain or even touch it. Those who touch the mountain must be put to death. 13 No one should touch them. They must be stoned or shot with arrows. No matter whether it’s an animal or a person, it must not live. The people may go up the mountain ⌞only⌟ when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast.”
14 After Moses went down the mountain to the people, he had them get ready, and they washed their clothes. 15 Then Moses said to the people, “Be ready two days from now. Don’t disqualify yourselves by having sexual intercourse.”
16 On the morning of the second day, there was thunder and lightning with a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud blast from a ram’s horn ⌞was heard⌟. All the people in the camp shook with fear. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had come down on it in fire. Smoke rose from the mountain like the smoke from a kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. 19 As the sound of the horn grew louder and louder, Moses was speaking, and the voice of God answered him.
20 The Lord came down on top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up. 21 The Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to force their way through ⌞the boundary⌟ to see the Lord, or many of them will die. 22 Even the priests who are allowed to come near the Lord must set themselves apart as holy, or the Lord will violently kill them.”
23 Moses said to the Lord, “The people can’t come up Mount Sinai, because you warned us yourself to mark off a boundary around the mountain and consider it holy.”
24 The Lord said to him, “Go down, and bring Aaron back with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through the boundary to come up to the Lord, or he will violently kill them.”
25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.
The Ten Commandments(A)
20 Then God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.
3 “Never have any other god. 4 Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water. 5 Never worship them or serve them, because I, the Lord your God, am a God who does not tolerate rivals. I punish children for their parents’ sins to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me. 6 But I show mercy to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my commandments.
7 “Never use the name of the Lord your God carelessly. The Lord will make sure that anyone who carelessly uses his name will be punished.
8 “Remember the day of rest by observing it as a holy day. 9 You have six days to do all your work. 10 The seventh day is the day of rest—a holy day dedicated to the Lord your God. You, your sons, your daughters, your male and female slaves, your cattle, and the foreigners living in your city must never do any work ⌞on that day⌟. 11 In six days the Lord made heaven, earth, and the sea, along with everything in them. He didn’t work on the seventh day. That’s why the Lord blessed the day he stopped his work and set this day apart as holy.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live for a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “Never murder.
14 “Never commit adultery.
15 “Never steal.
16 “Never lie when you testify about your neighbor.
17 “Never desire to take your neighbor’s household away from him.
“Never desire to take your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey, or anything else that belongs to him.”
The People’s Reaction
18 All the people heard the thunder and saw the lightning. They heard the blast of the ram’s horn and saw the mountain covered with smoke. So they shook with fear and stood at a distance. 19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we’ll listen. But don’t let God speak to us, or we’ll die!”
20 Moses answered the people, “Don’t be afraid! God has come only to test you, so that you will be in awe of him and won’t sin.”
21 The people kept their distance while Moses went closer to the dark cloud where God was.
General Rules for Worship
22 The Lord said to Moses, “This is what you must say to the Israelites: You’ve seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven. 23 Never make any gods of silver or gold for yourselves. Never worship them.
24 “You must build an altar for me made out of dirt. Sacrifice your burnt offerings and your fellowship offerings, your sheep, goats, and cattle on it. Wherever I choose to have my name remembered, I will come to you and bless you. 25 If you build an altar for me made out of stones, never make it with cut stone blocks. If you use a chisel on it, you will make it unacceptable to me. 26 Never use stairs to go up to my altar. Otherwise, people will be able to see under your clothes.”
Laws Concerning the Treatment of Slaves
21 ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Here are the legal decisions to be used by the Israelites:
2 “Whenever you buy a Hebrew slave, he will be your slave for six years. In the seventh year he may leave as a free man, without paying for his freedom. 3 If he comes to you by himself, he must leave by himself. If he comes as a married man, his wife may leave with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she gives birth to sons or daughters, the wife and her children belong to the master, and the slave must leave by himself. 5 But if he makes this statement: ‘I hereby declare my love for my master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want to leave as a free man,’ 6 then his master must bring him to God. The master must bring him to the door or the doorframe and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his slave for life.
7 “Whenever a man sells his daughter into slavery, she will not go free the way male slaves do. 8 If she doesn’t please the master who has chosen her as a wife,[c] he must let her be bought back by one of her close relatives. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has treated her unfairly. 9 But if he has chosen her for his son, he must treat her like a daughter. 10 If that son marries another woman, he must not deprive the first wife of food, clothes, or sex. 11 If he doesn’t give her these three things, she can go free, without paying any money for her freedom.
Laws Concerning Injury to People
12 “Whoever strikes someone and kills him must be put to death. 13 If it wasn’t done intentionally, but God let it happen, the killer should flee to a place I will set aside for you. 14 But whenever someone becomes so angry that he plans to kill his neighbor, you must take him away from my altar and put him to death.
15 “Whoever hits his father or mother must be put to death.
16 “Whoever kidnaps another person must be put to death, whether he has sold the kidnapped person or still has him.
17 “Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death.
18 “This is what you must do whenever men quarrel and one hits the other with a rock or with his fist and injures him so that he has to stay in bed. 19 If the injured man can get up again and walk around outside with a cane, the one who hit him must not be punished. He must pay the injured man for the loss of his time and for all his medical expenses.
20 “Whenever an owner hits his male or female slave with a stick so that the slave dies from the beating, the owner must be punished. 21 But if the slave gets up in a day or two, the owner must not be punished. The slave is his property.
22 “This is what you must do whenever men fight and injure a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely. If there are no other injuries, the offender must pay whatever fine the court allows the woman’s husband to demand. 23 If anyone is injured, the offender must pay a life for a life, 24 an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, 25 a burn for a burn, a bruise for a bruise, a wound for a wound.
26 “Whenever an owner hits his male or female slave in the eye and the slave is blinded, he must let the slave go free to make up for the loss of the eye. 27 If the owner knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free to make up for the loss of the tooth.
28 “Whenever a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat may not be eaten. The bull’s owner is free from any liability. 29 But if the bull has had the habit of goring, and the owner has been warned but has not kept it confined, and it kills a man or a woman, then the bull must be stoned and its owner must be put to death, too. 30 However, if only a cash settlement is demanded from the owner, the bull’s owner may save his life by paying whatever price is demanded of him. 31 If the bull gores someone’s son or daughter, this same ruling applies. 32 If the bull gores a male or female slave, its owner must pay 12 ounces of silver to the slave’s master, and the bull must be stoned.
Laws Concerning Property
33 “Whenever someone opens up a cistern or digs a new one and doesn’t cover it and a bull or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the cistern must make up for the loss. He must pay money to the animal’s owner, and then the dead animal will be his.
35 “Whenever one person’s bull kills another person’s bull, they must sell the live bull and divide the money between them. They must divide the dead bull, too. 36 However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, and its owner didn’t keep it confined, the owner must make up for the loss—bull for bull—and then the dead bull will be his.”
22 [d]⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Whenever someone steals a bull or a sheep and butchers it or sells it, he must make up for the loss with five head of cattle to replace the bull or four sheep to replace the sheep.
2 “If anyone catches a thief breaking in and hits him so that he dies, he is not guilty of murder. 3 But if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of murder.
“A thief must make up for what he has stolen. If he is unable to do so, he must be sold ⌞as a slave⌟ to pay for what he stole. 4 But if the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, whether it’s a bull, donkey, or a sheep, he must make up for the loss with double the amount.
5 “Whenever someone lets his livestock graze in a field or a vineyard, and they stray and graze in another person’s field, he must make up for what the damaged field was expected to produce. But if he lets them ruin the whole field with their grazing,[e] he must make up from his own field for the loss with the best from his field and vineyard.
6 “Whenever a fire starts and spreads into the underbrush so that it burns up stacked or standing grain or ruins a field, the person who started the fire must make up for the loss.
7 “This is what you must do whenever someone gives his neighbor silver or ⌞other⌟ valuables to keep for him, and they are stolen from that person’s house: If the thief is caught, he must make up for the loss with double the amount. 8 If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house must be brought to God to find out whether or not he took his neighbor’s valuables. 9 If there is a dispute over the ownership of a bull, a donkey, a sheep, an article of clothing, or any ⌞other⌟ lost property which two people claim as their own, both people must bring their case to God. The one whom God declares guilty must make up for his neighbor’s loss with double the amount.
10 “This is what you must do whenever someone gives his neighbor a donkey, a bull, a sheep, or any other kind of animal to keep for him, and it dies, is injured, or is captured in war, and there are no witnesses. 11 The case between them must be settled by swearing an oath to the Lord that the neighbor did not take the other person’s animal. The owner must accept the oath. The neighbor doesn’t have to make up for the loss. 12 But if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, he must make up for the owner’s loss. 13 If it was killed by a wild animal, he must bring in the dead body as evidence. He doesn’t have to make up for an animal that has been killed.
14 “Whenever someone borrows an animal from his neighbor, and it is injured or dies while the owner is not present, the borrower must make up for the loss. 15 If the owner is with the animal, the borrower doesn’t have to make up for the loss. If it is rented, the rental fee covers the loss.
Laws for Living as God’s Holy People
16 “Whenever a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to anyone and has sexual intercourse with her, he must pay the bride-price and marry her. 17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must pay an amount of money equal to the bride-price for virgins.
18 “Never let a witch live.
19 “Whoever has sexual intercourse with an animal must be put to death.
20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god except the Lord must be condemned and destroyed.
21 “Never mistreat or oppress foreigners, because you were foreigners living in Egypt.
22 “Never take advantage of any widow or orphan. 23 If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure that I will hear their cry. 24 I will become angry and have you killed in combat. Then your wives and children will become widows and orphans.
25 “If you lend money to my people—to any poor person among you—never act like a moneylender. Charge no interest. 26 If you take any of your neighbor’s clothes as collateral, give it back to him by sunset. 27 It may be the only clothes he has to cover his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will listen because I am compassionate.
28 “Never show disrespect for God or curse a leader of your people.
29 “Never withhold your best wine from me.
“You must give me your firstborn son. 30 You must do the same with your cattle and your sheep. They will stay with their mothers seven days, but on the eighth day you must give them to me.
31 “You must be my holy people. Never eat the meat of an animal that has been killed by wild animals out in the countryside. Throw it to the dogs.”
23 ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Never spread false rumors. Don’t join forces with wicked people by giving false testimony. 2 Never follow a crowd in doing wrong. When you testify in court, don’t side with the majority to pervert justice. 3 Never give special favors to poor people in court.
4 “Whenever you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering loose, be sure to take it back to him. 5 Whenever you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, don’t leave it there. Be sure to help him with his animal.
6 “Never deny justice to poor people in court. 7 Avoid telling lies. Don’t kill innocent or honest people, because I will never declare guilty people innocent. 8 Never take a bribe, because bribes blind those who can see and deny justice to those who are in the right.
9 “Never oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be foreigners because you were foreigners living in Egypt.
10 “For six years you may plant crops in your fields and harvest them, 11 but in the seventh year you must leave the land unplowed and unused. In that way the poor among your people will have food to eat, and wild animals may eat what the poor people leave. You must do the same with your vineyards and olive groves.
12 “For six days you will do your work, but on the seventh day you must not work. Then your ox and donkey can rest. The slaves born in your household and foreigners will also be refreshed.
13 “Be careful ⌞to do⌟ everything I told you.
“Never mention the names of other gods or let them be heard on your lips.
Laws for Three Festivals
14 “Three times a year you must celebrate a pilgrimage festival in my honor.
15 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread: For seven days you must eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because that was when you left Egypt. No one may come into my presence without an offering.
16 “Celebrate the Festival of the Harvest with the first produce harvested from whatever you plant in your fields.
“Celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the year when you harvest your crops from the fields.
17 “These are the three times each year that all your men must come into the presence of the Master, the Lord.
18 “Never offer the blood of a sacrifice to me at the same time you offer anything containing yeast. The fat sacrificed at my festivals should never be left over in the morning.
19 “You must bring the best of the first produce harvested from your soil to the house of the Lord your God.
“Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
Laws about God’s Messenger, Who Will Bring Israel to the Promised Land
20 “I’m going to send a Messenger in front of you to protect you on your trip and bring you to the place I have prepared. 21 Pay attention to him, and listen to him. Don’t defy him, because he will not forgive your disobedience. He is acting on my authority. 22 But if you will listen to him and do everything I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an opponent to your opponents.
23 “My Messenger will go ahead of you and will bring you to ⌞the land of⌟ the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites. I will wipe them out. 24 Never worship or serve their gods or follow their practices. Instead, you must destroy their gods and crush their sacred stones. 25 You must serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your food and water. I will take away all sickness from among you. 26 No woman in your land will miscarry or be unable to have children. I will let you live a normal life span.
27 “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw any nation you meet into a panic. I will make all your enemies flee from you. 28 I will spread panic ahead of you to force the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites out of your way. 29 I will not force them out of your way in one year. Otherwise, the land would be deserted, and wild animals would take over. 30 Little by little I will force them out of your way until you have increased enough in number to take possession of the land.
31 “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Sinai Desert to the Euphrates River. I will put the people living in the land under your control, and you will force them out of your way. 32 Never make a treaty with them and their gods. 33 Never let them live in your land, or they will make you sin against me and trap you into serving their gods.”
The Promise Sealed with Blood
24 The Lord said to Moses, “You and Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 of Israel’s leaders come up the mountain to me and worship at a distance. 2 Moses may come near the Lord, but the others may not. The people must not come along with Moses.”
3 Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and legal decisions. Then all the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the Lord has told us to do.” 4 So Moses wrote down all the Lord’s words.
Early the next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain and ⌞set up⌟ 12 sacred stones for the 12 tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they sacrificed bulls as burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it into bowls, and he threw the other half against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Lord’s Promise [f] and read it while the people listened. They said, “We will obey and do everything the Lord has said.”
8 Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, “Here is the blood which seals the promise that the Lord has made to you based on everything you have just heard.”
9 Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 of Israel’s leaders. 10 They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made out of sapphire as clear and blue as the sky itself. 11 God didn’t harm these leaders of the Israelites. So they saw God, and then they ate and drank.
Moses Goes up the Mountain to Receive God’s Words Written on Stone
12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the teachings and the commandments I have written for the people’s instruction.”
13 Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. 14 He said to the leaders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are here with you. Take all your disagreements to them.”
15 So Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered it. 16 The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered it, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud. 17 To the Israelites, the glory of the Lord looked like a raging fire on top of the mountain. 18 Moses entered the cloud as he went up the mountain. He stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights.
Gifts for Use in the Tent of Meeting(B)
25 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to choose something to give me as a special contribution. You must accept whatever contribution each person freely gives. 3 This is the kind of contribution you will accept from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 violet, purple, and bright red yarn, fine linen, goats’ hair, 5 rams’ skins dyed red, fine leather, acacia wood, 6 olive oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet-smelling incense, 7 onyx stones, and other precious stones to be set in the ⌞chief priest’s⌟ ephod [g] and his breastplate.
8 “Then have them make a holy place for me, and I will live among them. 9 Make the tent and all its furnishings exactly like the plans I am showing you.
The Ark(C)
10 “Make an ark of acacia wood 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. 11 Cover it with pure gold inside and out, and put a gold molding around it. 12 Cast four gold rings for it, and fasten them to its four feet, two rings on each side. 13 Make poles of acacia wood, and cover them with gold. 14 Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry it. 15 The poles must stay in the rings of the ark. Never remove them. 16 Then you will put into the ark the words of my promise which I will give you.
17 “Make a throne of mercy to cover the ark out of pure gold 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. 18 Make two angels [h] out of hammered gold for the two ends of the throne of mercy, 19 one on each end. Form the angels and the throne of mercy out of one piece of gold. 20 The angels should have their wings spread above the throne of mercy, overshadowing it. They should face each other, looking at the throne of mercy. 21 After you put into the ark the words of my promise which I will give you, place the throne of mercy on top. 22 I will be above the throne of mercy between the angels whenever I meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.
The Table(D)
23 “Make a table of acacia wood 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. 24 Cover it with pure gold, and put a gold molding around it. 25 Make a rim three inches wide around it, and put a gold molding around the rim. 26 Make four gold rings for it, and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. 27 The rings are to be close to the rim. They are to hold the poles for carrying the table. 28 Make the poles out of acacia wood, cover them with gold, and use them to carry the table. 29 Make plates and dishes for the table out of pure gold, as well as pitchers and bowls to be used for pouring wine offerings. 30 Put the bread of the presence on this table so that it will be in front of me all the time.
The Lamp Stand(E)
31 “Make a lamp stand out of pure gold. The lamp stand, its base, and its shaft, as well as the flower cups, buds, and petals must be hammered out of one piece of gold. 32 Six branches are to come out of the sides, three branches on one side and three on the other. 33 Each of the six branches coming out of the lamp stand is to have three flower cups shaped like almond blossoms, with buds and petals. 34 The lamp stand itself is to have four flower cups shaped like almond blossoms, with buds and petals. 35 There should be a bud under each of the three pairs of branches coming out of the lamp stand. 36 The buds and branches should also be hammered out of the same piece of pure gold as the lamp stand.
37 “Make seven lamps, and set them on the lamp stand so that they light up ⌞the area⌟ in front of it. 38 The tongs and incense burners must be made of pure gold. 39 Use 75 pounds of pure gold to make the lamp stand and all the utensils. 40 Be sure to make them according to the plans you were shown on the mountain.”
The Tent(F)
26 ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Make the inner tent with ten sheets made from fine linen yarn. Take violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and creatively work an angel [i] design into the fabric. 2 Each sheet will be 42 feet long and 6 feet wide—all the same size. 3 Five of the sheets must be sewn together, and the other five must also be sewn together. 4 Make 50 violet loops along the edge of the end sheet in each set, 5 placing the loops opposite each other. 6 Make 50 gold fasteners. Use them to link the ⌞two sets of⌟ sheets together so that the tent is a single unit.
7 “Make 11 sheets of goats’ hair to form an outer tent over the inner tent. 8 Each of the 11 sheets will be 45 feet long and 6 feet wide. 9 Sew five of the sheets together into one set and the remaining six into another set. Fold the sixth sheet in half ⌞to hang⌟ in front of the tent. 10 Make 50 loops along the edge of the end sheet in each set. 11 Make 50 bronze fasteners, and put them through the loops to link the inner tent together as a single unit. 12 The remaining half-sheet should hang over the back of the inner tent. 13 There will be 18 inches left over on each side because of the length of the outer tent’s sheets. That part should hang over each side in order to cover the inner tent. 14 Make a cover of rams’ skins that have been dyed red for the outer tent. Over that put a cover made of fine leather.
15 “Make a framework out of acacia wood for the inner tent. 16 Each frame is to be 15 feet long and 27 inches wide, 17 with two identical pegs. Make all the frames for the inner tent the same way. 18 Make 20 frames for the south side of the inner tent. 19 Then make 40 silver sockets at the bottom of the 20 frames, two sockets at the bottom of each frame for the two pegs. 20 For the north side of the inner tent ⌞make⌟ 20 frames 21 and 40 silver sockets, two at the bottom of each frame. 22 Make six frames for the far end, the west side. 23 Make two frames for ⌞each of⌟ the corners at the far end of the inner tent. 24 These will be held together at the bottom and held tightly at the top by a single ring.[j] Both corner frames will be made this way. 25 There will be eight frames with 16 silver sockets, two at the bottom of each frame.
26 “Make crossbars out of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the inner tent, 27 five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the far end of the inner tent, the west side. 28 The middle crossbar will run from one end to the other, halfway up the frames. 29 Cover the frames with gold, make gold rings to hold the crossbars, and cover the crossbars with gold.
30 “Set up the inner tent according to the plans you were shown on the mountain.
31 “Make a canopy of violet, purple, and bright red yarn. Creatively work an angel design into fine linen yarn. 32 Use gold hooks to hang it on four posts of acacia wood covered with gold, standing in four silver sockets. 33 Hang the canopy from the fasteners in the ceiling, and put the ark containing the words of my promise under it. The canopy will mark off the most holy place from the holy place. 34 Put the throne of mercy that is on the ark in the most holy place.
35 “Place the table outside the canopy on the north side of the inner tent, and put the lamp stand opposite the table on the south side.
36 “For the entrance of the outer tent, make a screen out of fine linen yarn, embroidered with violet, purple, and bright red yarn. 37 Make five posts of acacia wood for the screen and cover them with gold. Make gold hooks for this screen. Cast five bronze bases for the posts.”
The Altar(G)
27 ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Make an altar out of acacia wood. It should be 7½ feet square, and 4½ feet high. 2 Make a horn at each of its four corners. The four horns and the altar must be made out of one piece ⌞of wood⌟ covered with bronze.
3 “Make all the utensils for it out of bronze: pots for taking away the altar’s ashes, also shovels, bowls, forks, and incense burners.
4 “Make a grate for it out of bronze mesh, and make a bronze ring for ⌞each of⌟ the four corners of the grate. 5 Put the grate under the ledge of the altar so that it comes halfway up the altar.
6 “Make poles out of acacia wood for the altar, and cover them with bronze. 7 The poles should be put through the rings on both sides of the altar to carry it.
8 “Make the altar out of boards so that it’s hollow inside. It must be made just as you were shown on the mountain.
The Courtyard(H)
9 “Make a courtyard for the tent. The south side of the courtyard should be 150 feet long and have curtains made out of fine linen yarn, 10 ⌞hung⌟ on 20 posts ⌞set in⌟ 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts should be made of silver. 11 The north side should be the same: 150 feet long, with curtains on 20 posts set in 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts should be made of silver.
12 “The courtyard on the west end should be 75 feet wide and have curtains ⌞hung⌟ on ten posts ⌞set in⌟ ten bases. 13 On the east end, facing the rising sun, the courtyard should also be 75 feet wide.
14-15 Each side ⌞of the entrance⌟ will be 22½ feet wide with curtains ⌞hung on⌟ three posts ⌞set in⌟ three bases.
16 “The entrance to the courtyard must have a 30-foot screen made from fine linen yarn, embroidered with violet, purple, and bright red yarn, ⌞hung⌟ on four posts ⌞set in⌟ four bases. 17 All the posts around the courtyard should have silver bands, silver hooks, and bronze bases. 18 The courtyard should be 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 7½ feet high, with ⌞curtains⌟ made of fine linen yarn and with bronze bases.
19 “All the things for the tent, no matter how they’re used, including all the pegs for the tent and the courtyard, must be made of bronze.
Lamps in the Tent(I)
20 “For the lighting, you must command the Israelites to bring you pure, virgin olive oil so that the lamps won’t go out. 21 In the tent of meeting outside the canopy where the words of my promise are, Aaron and his descendants must keep the lamps lit in the Lord’s presence from evening until morning. This is a permanent law among the Israelites for generations to come.”
The Holy Clothes(J)
28 ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Out of all the Israelites, bring your brother Aaron and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar to you. They will serve me as priests. 2 Make holy clothes for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.
3 “Tell all those who have the skill—those to whom I have given this ability—to make Aaron’s clothes. These clothes will set him apart as holy when he serves me as priest. 4 These are the clothes they will make: a breastplate, an ephod and the robe that is worn with it, another specially woven linen robe, the chief priest’s turban, and a cloth belt. They will make these holy clothes for your brother Aaron and his sons so that they can serve me as priests. 5 They must use gold, violet, purple, and bright red yarn, and fine linen.
The Ephod(K)
6 “Make the ephod out of fine linen yarn. Creatively work gold, violet, purple, and bright red yarn into the fabric. 7 It will have two shoulder straps attached at the ⌞top⌟ corners so that it can be fastened. 8 Make the belt that is attached to the ephod out of the same fabric. 9 Take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel 10 in birth order—six of their names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. 11 Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the same way a jeweler engraves a signet ring. Mount them in gold settings, 12 and fasten them on the shoulder straps of the ephod as reminders of who the Israelites are. In this way Aaron will carry their names on his shoulders as a reminder in the Lord’s presence. 13 Make gold settings 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like ropes, and fasten these chains to the settings.
The Breastplate(L)
15 “Make the breastplate for decision-making as creatively as you make the ephod. Make it out of gold, violet, purple, and bright red yarn and out of fine linen yarn. 16 Fold it in half so that it’s 9 inches square. 17 Fasten four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row put red quartz, topaz, and emerald. 18 In the second row put turquoise, sapphire, and crystal. 19 In the third row put jacinth, agate, and amethyst. 20 In the fourth row put beryl, onyx, and gray quartz. Mount them in gold settings. 21 The stones correspond to the 12 sons of Israel, by name, each stone engraved (like a signet ring) with the name of one of the 12 tribes.
22 “For the breastplate make chains out of pure gold, twisted like ropes. 23 Make two gold rings for the breastplate. Attach them to the two ⌞top⌟ corners of the breastplate. 24 Then fasten the two gold ropes to the rings at the ⌞top⌟ corners of the breastplate. 25 Fasten the other ends of the ropes to the two settings on the shoulder straps of the ephod ⌞so that the breastplate hangs⌟ in front of it. 26 Make two gold rings, and fasten them to the other two corners of the breastplate on the inside edge next to the ephod. 27 Make two ⌞more⌟ gold rings, and fasten them to the bottom of the shoulder straps on the front of the ephod. This will be close to the seam just above the belt of the ephod. 28 Then the breastplate should be fastened by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a violet cord. This will attach it just above the belt of the ephod and will hold the breastplate in place.
29 “Whenever Aaron goes into the holy place, he will be carrying the names of the sons of Israel over his heart as a constant reminder in the Lord’s presence. He must do this by wearing the breastplate for decision-making. 30 Put the Urim and Thummim [k] into the breastplate for decision-making. They, too, will be over Aaron’s heart when he comes into the Lord’s presence. In this way whenever he’s in the Lord’s presence, Aaron will always be carrying over his heart the ⌞means for determining the Lord’s⌟ decisions for the Israelites.
Other Clothes for Aaron and His Sons(M)
31 “Make the robe that is worn with the ephod entirely of violet material. 32 Make an opening for the head in the center with a reinforced edge (like a leather collar) all around it to keep it from tearing. 33 All around the hem of the robe make pomegranates of violet, purple, and bright red yarn with gold bells in between— 34 a gold bell alternating with a pomegranate all around the hem of the robe. 35 Aaron must wear it when he serves as priest. The sound of the bells must be heard when he comes into and goes out of the Lord’s presence in the holy place so that he won’t die.
36 “Make a flower-shaped medallion out of pure gold, and engrave on it (as on a signet ring): Holy to the Lord. 37 Fasten a violet cord to it, and tie it so that it’s on the front of the turban. 38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead. He’s the one to be blamed for anything done wrong when the Israelites bring their holy offerings—whatever their gifts may be. The medallion must always be on Aaron’s forehead so that the Lord will accept their offerings.
39 “Make the specially woven inner robe of fine linen. Make the turban of fine linen, but the belt should be embroidered with colored yarn.
40 “Also make linen robes, belts, and turbans for Aaron’s sons. These clothes will give them dignity and honor. 41 Put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint them, ordain them, and set them apart to serve me as priests.
42 “Make linen undergarments to cover them down to their thighs. 43 Aaron and his sons must wear them when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to serve as priests in the holy place. Then they will be blameless and won’t die.
“This is a permanent law for him and his descendants.”
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