Exodus 24

1God also told Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders. You are to bow low in worship while still far off. 2Moses by himself is to approach the LORD. The rest are to stay back, and the people are not to climb the mountain with him.” 3Moses came and reported to the people all that the LORD had said, every word and every rule. The whole people answered together as one: “We will do every word the LORD has spoken.” 4Moses put all the words of the LORD in writing. He was up early the next morning to build an altar below the mountain, with twelve pillars, one for each tribe of Israel. 5He sent out young men of the Israelites. They presented burnt offerings and slaughtered bulls as fellowship offerings for the LORD. 6Moses kept half of the blood aside in bowls and dashed the rest against the altar. 7Then he took the scroll of the covenant and read it aloud for the people to hear. They answered, “Whatever the LORD has said, we will carry out. We will listen and obey.” 8Moses took the blood and dashed it over the people. “Look,” he said, “the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you on the terms of all these words.” 9Moses then went up the mountain, with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. 10They saw the God of Israel. Beneath his feet there seemed to be a floor paved with sapphire, as pure and clear as the sky itself. 11Against the chief men of the Israelites he did not stretch out his hand. They gazed on God, and they ate and drank.

12The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and remain there. I will give you the tablets of stone, the law and commandment that I have written to teach the people.” 13Moses got up, along with Joshua who served him, and Moses climbed the mountain of God. 14To the elders he said, “Remain here for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur will be with you; if anyone has a case to settle, they can go to those two.” 15Moses climbed the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16The glory of the LORD came to dwell on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered the mountain six days. On the seventh day he called to Moses from inside the cloud. 17As the Israelites watched, the glory of the LORD appeared on the mountaintop like a fire that devours. 18Moses walked into the cloud and climbed the mountain, and there on the mountain he remained for forty days and forty nights.