Exodus 34:1-35:9
New American Standard Bible
The Two Tablets Replaced
34 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Cut out for yourself (A)two stone tablets like the former ones, and (B)I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you smashed. 2 So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to (C)Mount Sinai, and [a]present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. 3 And (D)no one is to come up with you, nor let anyone be seen [b]anywhere on the mountain; even the flocks and the herds are not to graze in front of that mountain.” 4 So he cut out (E)two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses got up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and he took the two stone tablets in his hand. 5 And (F)the Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he [c]called upon the name of the Lord. 6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, (G)compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and [d]truth; 7 who (H)keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He (I)will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, (J)inflicting the [e]punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” 8 And Moses hurried [f](K)to bow low toward the ground and worship. 9 Then he said, “(L)If in any way I have found favor in Your sight, Lord, please may the Lord go along in our midst, even though [g](M)the people are so obstinate, and (N)pardon our wrongdoing and our sin, and (O)take us as Your own [h]possession.”
The Covenant Renewed
10 Then [i]God said, “Behold, (P)I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people (Q)I will perform miracles which have not been [j]produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people [k]among whom you live will see the working of the Lord, for it is a fearful thing that I am going to perform with you.
11 “[l]Be sure to comply with what I am commanding you this day: behold, (R)I am going to drive out the Amorite from you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 12 (S)Be careful that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. 13 (T)But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their memorial stones, and cut down their [m](U)Asherim 14 —for (V)you shall not worship any other god, because the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God— 15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they would prostitute themselves with their gods and (W)sacrifice to their gods, and someone (X)might invite you [n]to eat of his sacrifice, 16 and (Y)you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might prostitute themselves with their gods and cause your sons also to prostitute themselves with their gods. 17 (Z)You shall not make for yourself any gods cast in metal.
18 “You shall keep (AA)the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For (AB)seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, [o]as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the (AC)month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt.
19 “(AD)The [p]firstborn from every womb belongs to Me, and all your male livestock, the [q]firstborn from [r]cattle and sheep. 20 (AE)You shall redeem with a lamb the firstborn from a donkey; and if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. You shall redeem (AF)all the firstborn of your sons. [s](AG)None are to appear before Me empty-handed.
21 “You shall work (AH)six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during plowing time and harvest you shall rest. 22 And you shall celebrate (AI)the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. 23 (AJ)Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord [t]God, the God of Israel. 24 For I will [u](AK)drive out nations from you and enlarge your borders, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the Lord your God.
25 “(AL)You shall not [v]offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread, (AM)nor is the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover to [w]be left over until morning.
26 “You shall bring (AN)the very first of the first fruits of your soil into the house of the Lord your God.
“You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
27 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(AO)Write [x]down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made (AP)a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 So he was there with the Lord for (AQ)forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And [y](AR)He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, (AS)the Ten [z]Commandments.
Moses’ Face Shines
29 And it came about, when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the (AT)two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that (AU)the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and (AV)they were afraid to approach him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the Lord had spoken [aa]to him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, (AW)he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, (AX)he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, 35 (AY)the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone. So Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with Him.
The Sabbath Emphasized
35 Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them, “(AZ)These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to [ab]do:
2 “(BA)For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, (BB)a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord; (BC)whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 (BD)You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.”
4 Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying, 5 ‘(BE)Take from among you a [ac]contribution to the Lord; whoever is of a willing heart is to bring it as the Lord’s [ad]contribution: gold, silver, and [ae]bronze, 6 and [af]violet, purple, and scarlet material, fine linen, goats’ hair, 7 and rams’ skins [ag]dyed red, and [ah]fine leather, and acacia wood, 8 and oil for lighting, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense, 9 and onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the [ai]breastpiece.
Footnotes
- Exodus 34:2 Or place yourself before Me
- Exodus 34:3 Lit on all
- Exodus 34:5 Or called out with the name of the Lord
- Exodus 34:6 Or trustworthiness
- Exodus 34:7 I.e., punishment for the wrongdoing
- Exodus 34:8 Lit and bowed...worshiped
- Exodus 34:9 Lit it is a people stiff-necked
- Exodus 34:9 Or inheritance
- Exodus 34:10 Lit He
- Exodus 34:10 Lit created
- Exodus 34:10 Lit in whose midst you are
- Exodus 34:11 Lit Observe for yourself
- Exodus 34:13 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
- Exodus 34:15 Lit and you eat
- Exodus 34:18 Or which
- Exodus 34:19 Lit every firstborn of a womb
- Exodus 34:19 Lit every firstborn of a womb
- Exodus 34:19 Or oxen
- Exodus 34:20 Lit They shall not
- Exodus 34:23 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Exodus 34:24 Or dispossess
- Exodus 34:25 Lit slaughter
- Exodus 34:25 Lit remain overnight
- Exodus 34:27 Lit for yourself
- Exodus 34:28 I.e., the Lord
- Exodus 34:28 Lit Words
- Exodus 34:32 Lit with
- Exodus 35:1 Lit do them
- Exodus 35:5 Or uplifted offering
- Exodus 35:5 Or uplifted offering
- Exodus 35:5 Or copper
- Exodus 35:6 Or bluish; LXX hyacinth in color, and so throughout the ch
- Exodus 35:7 Or tanned
- Exodus 35:7 Meaning of the Heb uncertain, and so throughout the ch
- Exodus 35:9 Or pouch
Exodus 34:1-35:9
New Living Translation
A New Copy of the Covenant
34 Then the Lord told Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed. 2 Be ready in the morning to climb up Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain. 3 No one else may come with you. In fact, no one is to appear anywhere on the mountain. Do not even let the flocks or herds graze near the mountain.”
4 So Moses chiseled out two tablets of stone like the first ones. Early in the morning he climbed Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him, and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.
5 Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh.[a] 6 The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,
“Yahweh![b] The Lord!
The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
7 I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.[c]
I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
But I do not excuse the guilty.
I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren;
the entire family is affected—
even children in the third and fourth generations.”
8 Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped. 9 And he said, “O Lord, if it is true that I have found favor with you, then please travel with us. Yes, this is a stubborn and rebellious people, but please forgive our iniquity and our sins. Claim us as your own special possession.”
10 The Lord replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord—the awesome power I will display for you. 11 But listen carefully to everything I command you today. Then I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
12 “Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. 13 Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. 14 You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.
15 “You must not make a treaty of any kind with the people living in the land. They lust after their gods, offering sacrifices to them. They will invite you to join them in their sacrificial meals, and you will go with them. 16 Then you will accept their daughters, who sacrifice to other gods, as wives for your sons. And they will seduce your sons to commit adultery against me by worshiping other gods. 17 You must not make any gods of molten metal for yourselves.
18 “You must celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib,[d] for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt.
19 “The firstborn of every animal belongs to me, including the firstborn males[e] from your herds of cattle and your flocks of sheep and goats. 20 A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the Lord by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son.
“No one may appear before me without an offering.
21 “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working, even during the seasons of plowing and harvest.
22 “You must celebrate the Festival of Harvest[f] with the first crop of the wheat harvest, and celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest[g] at the end of the harvest season. 23 Three times each year every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the Lord, the God of Israel. 24 I will drive out the other nations ahead of you and expand your territory, so no one will covet and conquer your land while you appear before the Lord your God three times each year.
25 “You must not offer the blood of my sacrificial offerings together with any baked goods containing yeast. And none of the meat of the Passover sacrifice may be kept over until the next morning.
26 “As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the Lord your God.
“You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
27 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of the covenant I am making with you and with Israel.”
28 Moses remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the Lord[h] wrote the terms of the covenant—the Ten Commandments[i]—on the stone tablets.
29 When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant,[j] he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord. 30 So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him.
31 But Moses called out to them and asked Aaron and all the leaders of the community to come over, and he talked with them. 32 Then all the people of Israel approached him, and Moses gave them all the instructions the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a veil. 34 But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the Lord had given him, 35 and the people of Israel would see the radiant glow of his face. So he would put the veil over his face until he returned to speak with the Lord.
Instructions for the Sabbath
35 Then Moses called together the whole community of Israel and told them, “These are the instructions the Lord has commanded you to follow. 2 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on that day must be put to death. 3 You must not even light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath.”
Offerings for the Tabernacle
4 Then Moses said to the whole community of Israel, “This is what the Lord has commanded: 5 Take a sacred offering for the Lord. Let those with generous hearts present the following gifts to the Lord:
gold, silver, and bronze;
6 blue, purple, and scarlet thread;
fine linen and goat hair for cloth;
7 tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather;
acacia wood;
8 olive oil for the lamps;
spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;
9 onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.
Footnotes
- 34:5 Yahweh is a transliteration of the proper name YHWH that is sometimes rendered “Jehovah”; in this translation it is usually rendered “the Lord” (note the use of small capitals).
- 34:6 See note on 34:5.
- 34:7 Hebrew for thousands.
- 34:18 Hebrew appointed time in the month of Abib. This first month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar usually occurs within the months of March and April.
- 34:19 As in Greek version; the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain.
- 34:22a Hebrew Festival of Weeks; compare 23:16. This was later called the Festival of Pentecost. It is celebrated today as Shavuot (or Shabuoth).
- 34:22b Or Festival of Ingathering. This was later called the Festival of Shelters or Festival of Tabernacles (see Lev 23:33-36). It is celebrated today as Sukkot (or Succoth).
- 34:28a Hebrew he.
- 34:28b Hebrew the ten words.
- 34:29 Hebrew the two tablets of the Testimony; see note on 25:16.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
