Exodus 24:1-11

New International Version

The Covenant Confirmed

24 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron,^(A) Nadab and Abihu,^(B) and seventy of the elders^(C) of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, ²but Moses alone is to approach^(D) the Lord; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.”

³When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws,^(E) they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.”^(F) ⁴Moses then wrote^(G) down everything the Lord had said.

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

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

⁹Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders^(S) of Israel went up ¹⁰and saw^(T) the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli,^(U) as bright blue as the sky.^(V) ¹¹But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw^(W) God, and they ate and drank.^(X)

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Psalm 44

New International Version

Psalm 44^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.^[b]

¹We have heard it with our ears,^(A) O God;
    our ancestors have told us^(B)
what you did in their days,
    in days long ago.^(C)
²With your hand you drove out^(D) the nations
    and planted^(E) our ancestors;
you crushed^(F) the peoples
    and made our ancestors flourish.^(G)
³It was not by their sword^(H) that they won the land,
    nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand,^(I) your arm,^(J)
    and the light^(K) of your face, for you loved^(L) them.

⁴You are my King^(M) and my God,^(N)
    who decrees^[c] victories^(O) for Jacob.
⁵Through you we push back^(P) our enemies;
    through your name we trample^(Q) our foes.
⁶I put no trust in my bow,^(R)
    my sword does not bring me victory;
⁷but you give us victory^(S) over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.^(T)
⁸In God we make our boast^(U) all day long,^(V)
    and we will praise your name forever.^[d]^(W)

⁹But now you have rejected^(X) and humbled us;^(Y)
    you no longer go out with our armies.^(Z)
¹⁰You made us retreat^(AA) before the enemy,
    and our adversaries have plundered^(AB) us.
¹¹You gave us up to be devoured like sheep^(AC)
    and have scattered us among the nations.^(AD)
¹²You sold your people for a pittance,^(AE)
    gaining nothing from their sale.

¹³You have made us a reproach^(AF) to our neighbors,^(AG)
    the scorn^(AH) and derision^(AI) of those around us.
¹⁴You have made us a byword^(AJ) among the nations;
    the peoples shake their heads^(AK) at us.
¹⁵I live in disgrace^(AL) all day long,
    and my face is covered with shame^(AM)
¹⁶at the taunts^(AN) of those who reproach and revile^(AO) me,
    because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.^(AP)

¹⁷All this came upon us,
    though we had not forgotten^(AQ) you;
    we had not been false to your covenant.
¹⁸Our hearts had not turned^(AR) back;
    our feet had not strayed from your path.
¹⁹But you crushed^(AS) us and made us a haunt for jackals;^(AT)
    you covered us over with deep darkness.^(AU)

²⁰If we had forgotten^(AV) the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,^(AW)
²¹would not God have discovered it,
    since he knows the secrets of the heart?^(AX)
²²Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep^(AY) to be slaughtered.^(AZ)

²³Awake,^(BA) Lord! Why do you sleep?^(BB)
Rouse yourself!^(BC) Do not reject us forever.^(BD)
²⁴Why do you hide your face^(BE)
and forget^(BF) our misery and oppression?^(BG)

²⁵We are brought down to the dust;^(BH)
our bodies cling to the ground.
²⁶Rise up^(BI) and help us;
rescue^(BJ) us because of your unfailing love.^(BK)