The New Tablets of the Covenant

34:1 1 The Lord said to Moses, “Cut out2 two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write3 on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you smashed. 34:2 Be prepared4 in the morning, and go up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and station yourself5 for me there on the top of the mountain. 34:3 No one is to come up with you; do not let anyone be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks or the herds may graze in front of that mountain.” 34:4 So Moses6 cut out two tablets of stone like the first;7 early in the morning he went up8 to Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had commanded him, and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone.

34:5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Lord by name.9 34:6 The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed:10 “The Lord, the Lord,11 the compassionate and gracious12 God, slow to anger,13 and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness,14 34:7 keeping loyal love for thousands,15 forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression16 of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”

34:8 Moses quickly bowed17 to the ground and worshiped 34:9 and said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord18 go among us, for we19 are a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”

34:10 He said, “See, I am going to make20 a covenant before all your people. I will do wonders such as have not been done21 in all the earth, nor in any nation. All the people among whom you live will see the work of the Lord, for it is a fearful thing that I am doing with you.22

34:11 “Obey23 what I am commanding you this day. I am going to drive out24 before you the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 34:12 Be careful not to make25 a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it become a snare26 among you. 34:13 Rather you must destroy their altars, smash their images, and cut down their Asherah poles.27 34:14 For you must not worship28 any other god,29 for the Lord, whose name30 is Jealous, is a jealous God. 34:15 Be careful31 not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when32 they prostitute themselves33 to their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone invites you,34 you will eat from his sacrifice; 34:16 and you then take35 his daughters for your sons, and when his daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will make your sons prostitute themselves to their gods as well. 34:17 You must not make yourselves molten gods.

34:18 “You must keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days36 you must eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you; do this37 at the appointed time of the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out of Egypt.

34:19 “Every firstborn of the womb38 belongs to me, even every firstborn39 of your cattle that is a male,40 whether ox or sheep. 34:20 Now the firstling41 of a donkey you may redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then break its neck.42 You must redeem all the firstborn of your sons.

“No one will appear before me empty-handed.43

34:21 “On six days44 you may labor, but on the seventh day you must rest;45 even at the time of plowing and of harvest46 you are to rest.47

34:22 “You must observe48 the Feast of Weeks—the firstfruits of the harvest of wheat—and the Feast of Ingathering at the end49 of the year. 34:23 At three times50 in the year all your men51 must appear before the Lord God,52 the God of Israel. 34:24 For I will drive out53 the nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one will covet54 your land when you go up55 to appear before the Lord your God three times56 in the year.

34:25 “You must not offer the blood of my sacrifice with yeast; the sacrifice from the feast of Passover must not remain until the following morning.57

34:26 “The first of the firstfruits of your soil you must bring to the house of the Lord your God.

You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”58

34:27 The Lord said to Moses, “Write down59 these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 34:28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights;60 he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.61