The Tablets Rewritten

10 “At that time the Lord said to me, ‘(A)Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the first two, and come up to Me on the mountain, and (B)make an [a]ark of wood for yourself. Then (C)I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you smashed to pieces, and (D)you shall put them in the ark.’ So (E)I made an ark of acacia wood and (F)cut out two tablets of stone like the first two, and I went up on the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. Then He wrote on the tablets, like the first writing, (G)the Ten [b]Commandments (H)which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire (I)on the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me. Then I turned and (J)came down from the mountain, and I (K)put the tablets in the ark which I had made; (L)and they are there, just as the Lord commanded me.”

(Now the sons of Israel set out from [c]Beeroth (M)Bene-jaakan to Moserah. (N)There Aaron died and there he was buried, and his son Eleazar served as priest in his place. (O)From there they set out to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of streams of water. (P)At that time the Lord singled out the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord (Q)to serve Him and to bless in His name, until this day. (R)Therefore, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance with his brothers; the Lord is his inheritance, just as the Lord your God spoke to him.)

10 (S)I, moreover, stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights like the first time, and the Lord listened to me that time also; the Lord was not willing to destroy you. 11 Then the Lord said to me, ‘Arise, proceed on your journey ahead of the people, so that they may go in and take possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.’

12 (T)And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to [d]fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and (U)love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with (V)all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the Lords commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? 14 Behold, (W)to the Lord your God belong heaven and the [e]highest heavens, (X)the earth and all that is in it. 15 (Y)Yet the Lord set His affection on your fathers, to love them, and He chose their [f]descendants after them, you over all the other peoples, as it is this day. 16 (Z)So circumcise [g]your heart, and do not (AA)stiffen your neck any longer. 17 (AB)For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the (AC)Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, (AD)who does not show partiality, nor (AE)take a bribe. 18 He executes justice for (AF)the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger by giving him food and clothing. 19 (AG)So show your love for the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and (AH)cling to Him, and (AI)you shall swear by His name. 21 He is (AJ)your glory and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen. 22 (AK)Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, (AL)and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 10:1 I.e., sacred chest
  2. Deuteronomy 10:4 Lit Words
  3. Deuteronomy 10:6 Or the wells of the sons of Jaakan
  4. Deuteronomy 10:12 Or revere
  5. Deuteronomy 10:14 Lit heaven of heavens
  6. Deuteronomy 10:15 Lit seed
  7. Deuteronomy 10:16 Lit the foreskin of your heart,

The Second Pair of Tablets

10 “At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Carve out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood.(A) I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets, which you smashed, and you shall put them in the ark.’(B) So I made an ark of acacia wood, cut two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hand.(C) Then he wrote on the tablets the same words as before, the ten commandments[a] that the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain out of the fire on the day of the assembly, and the Lord gave them to me.(D) So I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark that I had made, and there they are, as the Lord commanded me.”(E)

(The Israelites journeyed from Beeroth-bene-jaakan[b] to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried; his son Eleazar succeeded him as priest.(F) From there they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with flowing streams.(G) At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day.(H) Therefore Levi has no allotment or inheritance with his kindred; the Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord your God promised him.)(I)

10 “I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, as I had done the first time. And once again the Lord listened to me. The Lord was unwilling to destroy you.(J) 11 The Lord said to me, ‘Get up, go on your journey at the head of the people, that they may go in and occupy the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them.’

The Essence of the Law

12 “So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,(K) 13 and to keep the commandments of the Lord and his decrees that I am commanding you today, for your own well-being. 14 Although heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to the Lord your God, the earth with all that is in it,(L) 15 yet the Lord set his heart in love on your ancestors alone and chose you, their descendants after them, out of all the peoples, as it is today.(M) 16 Circumcise, then, the foreskin of your heart, and do not be stubborn any longer.(N) 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe,(O) 18 who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing.(P) 19 You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.(Q) 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; him you shall serve; to him you shall hold fast; and by his name you shall swear.(R) 21 He is your praise; he is your God who has done for you these great and awesome things that your own eyes have seen.(S) 22 Your ancestors went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in heaven.(T)

Footnotes

  1. 10.4 Heb the ten words
  2. 10.6 Or the wells of the Bene-jaakan

10 At that time the Lord said to me: Hew thee two tables of stone like the former, and come up to me into the mount: and thou shalt make an ark of wood,

And I will write on the tables the words that were in them, which thou brokest before, and thou shalt put them in the ark.

And I made an ark of setim wood And when I had hewn two tables of stone like the former, I went up into the mount, having them in my hands.

And he wrote in the tables, according as he had written before, the ten words, which the Lord spoke to you in the mount from the midst of the fire, when the people were assembled: and he gave them to me.

And returning from the mount, I came down, and put the tables into the ark, that I had made, and they are there till this present, as the Lord commanded me.

And the children of Israel removed their camp from Beroth of the children of Jacan into Mosera, where Aaron died and was buried, and Eleazar his son succeeded him in the priestly office.

From thence they came to Gadgad, from which place they departed, and camped in Jetebatha, in a land of waters and torrents.

At that time he separated the tribe of Levi, to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to stand before him in the ministry, and to bless in his name until this present day.

Wherefore Levi hath no part nor possession with his brethren: because the Lord himself is his possession, as the Lord thy God promised him.

10 And I stood in the mount, as before, forty days and nights: and the Lord heard me this time also, and would not destroy thee.

11 And he said to me: Go, and walk before the people, that they may enter, and possess the land, which I swore to their fathers that I would give them.

12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but that thou fear the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways, and love him, and serve the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul:

13 And keep the commandments of the Lord, and his ceremonies, which I command thee this day, that it may be well with thee?

14 Behold heaven is the Lord's thy God, and the heaven of heaven, the earth and all things that are therein.

15 And yet the Lord hath been closely joined to thy fathers, and loved them and chose their seed after them, that is to say, you, out of all nations, as this day it is proved.

16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and stiffen your neck no more.

17 Because the Lord your God he is the God of gods, and the Lord of lords, a great God and mighty and terrible, who accepteth no person nor taketh bribes.

18 He doth judgment to the fatherless and the widow, loveth the stranger, and giveth him food and raiment.

19 And do you therefore love strangers, because you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.

20 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him only: to him thou shalt adhere, and shalt swear by his name.

21 He is thy praise, and thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thy eyes have seen.

22 In seventy souls thy fathers went down into Egypt: and behold now the Lord thy God hath multiplied thee as the stars of heaven.

10 1-2 God responded. He said, “Shape two slabs of stone similar to the first ones. Climb the mountain and meet me. Also make yourself a wooden chest. I will engrave the stone slabs with the words that were on the first ones, the ones you smashed. Then you will put them in the Chest.”

3-5 So I made a chest out of acacia wood, shaped two slabs of stone, just like the first ones, and climbed the mountain with the two slabs in my arms. He engraved the stone slabs the same as he had the first ones, the Ten Words that he addressed to you on the mountain out of the fire on the day of the assembly. Then God gave them to me. I turned around and came down the mountain. I put the stone slabs in the Chest that I made and they’ve been there ever since, just as God commanded me.

* * *

6-7 The People of Israel went from the wells of the Jaakanites to Moserah. Aaron died there and was buried. His son Eleazar succeeded him as priest. From there they went to Gudgodah, and then to Jotbathah, a land of streams of water.

8-9 That’s when God set apart the tribe of Levi to carry God’s Covenant Chest, to be on duty in the Presence of God, to serve him, and to bless in his name, as they continue to do today. And that’s why Levites don’t have a piece of inherited land as their kinsmen do. God is their inheritance, as God, your God, promised them.

10 I stayed there on the mountain forty days and nights, just as I did the first time. And God listened to me, just as he did the first time: God decided not to destroy you.

11 God told me, “Now get going. Lead your people as they resume the journey to take possession of the land that I promised their ancestors that I’d give to them.”

12-13 So now Israel, what do you think God expects from you? Just this: Live in his presence in holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve God, your God, with everything you have in you, obey the commandments and regulations of God that I’m commanding you today—live a good life.

14-18 Look around you: Everything you see is God’s—the heavens above and beyond, the Earth, and everything on it. But it was your ancestors who God fell in love with; he picked their children—that’s you!—out of all the other peoples. That’s where we are right now. So cut away the thick calluses from your heart and stop being so willfully hardheaded. God, your God, is the God of all gods, he’s the Master of all masters, a God immense and powerful and awesome. He doesn’t play favorites, takes no bribes, makes sure orphans and widows are treated fairly, takes loving care of foreigners by seeing that they get food and clothing.

19-21 You must treat foreigners with the same loving care—
    remember, you were once foreigners in Egypt.
Reverently respect God, your God, serve him, hold tight to him,
    back up your promises with the authority of his name.
He’s your praise! He’s your God!
He did all these tremendous, these staggering things
    that you saw with your own eyes.

22 When your ancestors entered Egypt, they numbered a mere seventy souls. And now look at you—you look more like the stars in the night skies in number. And your God did it.

* * *