Renewal of the Covenant

29 ^[a]These are the terms of the covenant the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab,^(A) in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.^(B)

² The Lord our God made a covenant^(A) with us at Horeb.^{(B) 3} It was not with our ancestors^[a] that the Lord made this covenant, but with us,^(C) with all of us who are alive here today.^(D)

³ The king stood by the pillar^(A) and renewed the covenant^(B) in the presence of the Lord—to follow^(C) the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

² but Moses alone is to approach^(A) 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,^(B) they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.”^{(C) 4} Moses then wrote^(D) down everything the Lord had said.

He got up early the next morning and built an altar^(E) at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars^(F) representing the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵ Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings^(G) and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings^(H) to the Lord. ⁶ Moses^(I) took half of the blood^(J) and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed^(K) against the altar. ⁷ Then he took the Book of the Covenant^(L) and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.”^(M)

⁸ Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people^(N) and said, “This is the blood of the covenant^(O) that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

²⁵ And you are heirs^(A) of the prophets and of the covenant^(B) God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’^[a](C)

¹⁸ Those who have violated my covenant^(A) and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces.^(B)

⁶ The Lord said to me, “Proclaim^(A) all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow^(B) them.