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, ² but Moses alone is to approach^(D) 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,^(E) they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.”^{(F) 4} Moses 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. ⁵ Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings^(J) and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings^(K) to the Lord. ⁶ Moses^(L) took half of the blood^(M) and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed^(N) against the altar. ⁷ Then 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)

⁸ Moses 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.”

⁹ Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders^(S) of Israel went up ¹⁰ and 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) 11} But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw^(W) God, and they ate and drank.^(X)

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone^(Y) with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

¹³ Then Moses set out with Joshua^(Z) his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain^(AA) of God. ¹⁴ He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur^(AB) are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute^(AC) can go to them.”

¹⁵ When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud^(AD) covered it, ¹⁶ and the glory^(AE) of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai.^(AF) For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.^{(AG) 17} To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire^(AH) on top of the mountain. ¹⁸ Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty^(AI) days and forty nights.^(AJ)

Offerings for the Tabernacle^(AK)

25 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts^(AL) them to give. ³ These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; ⁴ blue, purple and scarlet yarn^(AM) and fine linen; goat hair; ⁵ ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather^[a];^(AN) acacia wood;^{(AO) 6} olive oil^(AP) for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;^{(AQ) 7} and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod^(AR) and breastpiece.^(AS)

⁸ “Then have them make a sanctuary^(AT) for me, and I will dwell^(AU) among them. ⁹ Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern^(AV) I will show you.

The Ark^(AW)

¹⁰ “Have them make an ark^[b](AX) of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.^{[c] 11} Overlay^(AY) it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. ¹² Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings^(AZ) on one side and two rings on the other. ¹³ Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.^{(BA) 14} Insert the poles^(BB) into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. ¹⁵ The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed.^{(BC) 16} Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law,^(BD) which I will give you.

¹⁷ “Make an atonement cover^(BE) of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. ¹⁸ And make two cherubim^(BF) out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. ¹⁹ Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. ²⁰ The cherubim^(BG) are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing^(BH) the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. ²¹ Place the cover on top of the ark^(BI) and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law^(BJ) that I will give you. ²² There, above the cover between the two cherubim^(BK) that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet^(BL) with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.^(BM)

The Table^(BN)

²³ “Make a table^(BO) of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.^{[d] 24} Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. ²⁵ Also make around it a rim a handbreadth^[e] wide and put a gold molding on the rim. ²⁶ Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. ²⁷ The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. ²⁸ Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold^(BP) and carry the table with them. ²⁹ And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings.^{(BQ) 30} Put the bread of the Presence^(BR) on this table to be before me at all times.

The Lampstand^(BS)

³¹ “Make a lampstand^(BT) of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. ³² Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. ³³ Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. ³⁴ And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. ³⁵ One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. ³⁶ The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.^(BU)

³⁷ “Then make its seven lamps^(BV) and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. ³⁸ Its wick trimmers and trays^(BW) are to be of pure gold. ³⁹ A talent^[f] of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. ⁴⁰ See that you make them according to the pattern^(BX) shown you on the mountain.

Psalm 46^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.^[b] A song.

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant,^(A) whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.^{(B) 47} Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.^{(C) 48} But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ ⁴⁹ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.^{(D) 50} The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. ⁵¹ He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.^(E)

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like^(F) ten virgins who took their lamps^(G) and went out to meet the bridegroom.^{(H) 2} Five of them were foolish and five were wise.^{(I) 3} The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.^(J)

⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’^(K)

⁹ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet.^(L) And the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’^(M)

¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.^(N)