Exodus 24:6–18

⁶Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls. He sprinkled the other half on the altar.

⁷Then he took the Scroll of the Covenant and read it to the people.

They answered, “We will do everything the Lord has told us to do. We will obey him.”

⁸Then Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people. He said, “This is the blood that puts the covenant into effect. The Lord has made this covenant with you in keeping with all of these words.”

⁹Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the 70 elders of Israel went up. ¹⁰They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a street made out of sapphire. It was as clear as the sky itself. ¹¹But God didn’t raise his hand against those leaders of the people of Israel. They saw God. And they ate and drank.

¹²The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay here. I will give you the stone tablets. They contain the law and commands I have written to teach the people.”

¹³Then Moses and Joshua, his helper, started out. Moses went up on the mountain of God. ¹⁴He said to the elders, “Wait for us here until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you. Anyone who has a problem can go to them.”

¹⁵Moses went up on the mountain. Then the cloud covered it. ¹⁶The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. The cloud covered the mountain for six days.

On the seventh day the Lord called out to Moses from inside the cloud. ¹⁷The people of Israel saw the glory of the Lord. It looked like a fire burning on top of the mountain. ¹⁸Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. He stayed on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights.