Exodus 34
Contemporary English Version
The Second Set of Commandments
(Deuteronomy 10.1-5)
34 One day the Lord said to Moses, “Cut two flat stones like the first ones I made, and I will write on them the same commandments that were on the two you broke. 2 Be ready tomorrow morning to come up Mount Sinai and meet me at the top. 3 No one is to come with you or to be on the mountain at all. Don't even let the sheep and cattle graze at the foot of the mountain.” 4 So Moses cut two flat stones like the first ones, and early the next morning he carried them to the top of Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had commanded.
5 The Lord God came down in a cloud and stood beside Moses there on the mountain. God spoke his holy name, “the Lord.”[a] 6 (A) Then he passed in front of Moses and called out, “I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with my people. I show great love, and I can be trusted. 7 I keep my promises to my people forever, but I also punish anyone who sins. When people sin, I punish them and their children, and also their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
8 Moses quickly bowed down to the ground and worshiped the Lord. 9 He prayed, “Lord, if you really are pleased with me, I pray that you will go with us. It is true that these people are sinful and rebellious, but forgive our sin and let us be your people.”
A Promise and Its Demands
(Exodus 23.14-19; Deuteronomy 7.1-5; 16.1-17)
10 The Lord said:
I promise to perform miracles for you that have never been seen anywhere on earth. Neighboring nations will stand in fear and know that I was the one who did these marvelous things. 11 I will force out the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, but you must do what I command you today. 12 Don't make treaties with any of those people. If you do, it will be like falling into a trap. 13 (B) Instead, you must destroy their altars and tear down the sacred poles[b] they use in the worship of the goddess Asherah. 14 I demand your complete loyalty—you must not worship any other god! 15 Don't make treaties with the people there, or you will soon find yourselves worshiping their gods and taking part in their sacrificial meals. 16 Your men will even marry their women and be influenced to worship their gods.
17 (C) Don't make metal images of gods.
18 (D) Don't fail to observe the Festival of Thin Bread in the month of Abib.[c] Obey me and eat bread without yeast for seven days during Abib, because that is the month you left Egypt.
19 (E) The first-born males of your families and of your flocks and herds belong to me.
20 (F) You can save the life of a first-born donkey[d] by sacrificing a lamb; if you don't, you must break the donkey's neck. You must save every first-born son.
Bring an offering every time you come to worship.
21 (G) Work for six days and rest on the seventh day, even during the seasons for plowing and harvesting. 22 (H) Celebrate the Harvest Festival[e] each spring when you start harvesting your wheat, and celebrate the Festival of Shelters[f] each autumn when you pick your fruit.
23 Your men must come to worship me three times a year, because I am the Lord God of Israel. 24 As you advance, I will force the nations out of your land and enlarge your borders. Then no one will try to take your property when you come to worship me these three times each year.
25 (I) When you sacrifice an animal on the altar, don't offer bread made with yeast. And don't save any part of the Passover meal for the next day.
26 (J) I am the Lord your God, and you must bring the first part of your harvest to the place of worship.
Don't boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
27 The Lord told Moses to put these laws in writing, as part of his agreement with Israel. 28 Moses stayed on the mountain with the Lord for 40 days and nights, without eating or drinking. And he wrote down the Ten Commandments, the most important part of God's agreement with his people.
Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai
29 (K) Moses came down from Mount Sinai, carrying the Ten Commandments. His face was shining brightly because the Lord had been speaking to him. But Moses did not know at first that his face was shining. 30 When Aaron and the others looked at Moses, they saw this, and they were afraid to go near him. 31 Moses called out for Aaron and the leaders to come to him, and he spoke with them. 32 Then the rest of the people of Israel gathered around Moses, and he gave them the laws that the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.
33 The face of Moses kept shining, and after he had spoken with the people, he covered his face with a veil. 34 Moses would always remove the veil when he went into the sacred tent to speak with the Lord. And when he came out, he would tell the people everything the Lord had told him to say. 35 They could see that his face was still shining. So after he had spoken with them, he would put the veil back on and leave it on until the next time he went to speak with the Lord.
Footnotes
Shemot 34
Orthodox Jewish Bible
34 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Chisel thee two Luchot Avanim like the first ones; and I will write upon these Luchot the divarim that were on the Luchot HaRishonim, which thou broke.
2 And be ready in the boker, and come up in the boker unto Mt.Sinai, and present thyself there to Me on the rosh HaHar.
3 And no ish shall come up with thee, neither let any ish be seen throughout kol HaHar; neither let the tzon nor herd graze in front of that Har.
4 And he chiseled two Luchot Avanim like the first ones; and Moshe rose up early in the boker, and went up unto Mt.Sinai, as Hashem had commanded him, and took in his yad the two Luchot Avanim.
5 And Hashem descended in the anan, and stood with him there, and called out the Shem of Hashem.
6 And Hashem passed by before him, and proclaimed, Hashem, Hashem El Rachum v’Channun, slow to anger, and abundant in chesed and emes,
7 Preserving chesed for thousands, forgiving avon and pesha and chatta’ah, and by no means leaving the guilty unpunished; visiting the avon of the avot upon the banim, and upon the bnei banim, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
8 And Moshe made haste, and bowed his head toward the ground, and worshiped.
9 And he said, If now I have found chen in Thy sight, Adonoi, let Adonoi, now, go among us; although it is an Am Kesheh Oref; and forgive avoneinu and chattateinu, and take us for Thine nachalah.
10 And He said, Hinei, I cut a brit; before all thy people I will do nifla’ot, such as have not been done in kol ha’aretz, nor in kol HaGoyim; and kol HaAm among which thou art shall see the ma’aseh Hashem; for it is a norah that I will do with thee.
11 Be thou shomer over that which I command thee this day; hinei, I drive out before thee the Emori, and the Kena’ani, and the Chitti, and the Perizzi, and the Chivi, and the Yevusi.
12 Be shomer over thyself, lest thou make a brit with the inhabitants of HaAretz whither thou goest, lest it be for a mokesh (snare) in the midst of thee;
13 But ye shall destroy their mizbechot, break their matzebot, and cut down their asherah (sacred trees, poles);
14 For thou shalt worship no el acher; for Hashem, Whose Shem is Jealous, is El Kanah;
15 Lest thou make a brit with the inhabitants of HaAretz, and they go awhoring after eloheihem, and do sacrifice unto eloheihem, and one invite thee, and thou eat of his zevach (sacrifice, i.e., participate in his pagan worship);
16 And thou take of their banot unto thy banim, and their banot go a-whoring after their elohim, and make thy banim go a-whoring after their elohim.
17 Thou shalt make thee no elohei massekhah.
18 The Chag Hamatzot shalt thou be shomer over. Shivat yamim thou shalt eat matzot, as I commanded thee, in the mo’ed of the month Aviv; for in the month Aviv thou camest out from Mitzrayim.
19 All that openeth the rechem (womb) is Mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or seh, that is zachar.
20 But the firstling of a donkey thou shalt redeem with a seh; and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. Kol bechor of thy banim thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before Me empty.
21 Sheshet yamim thou shalt work, but on the yom hashevi’i thou shalt rest; in plowing and in harvest thou shalt rest.
22 And thou shalt observe Chag Shavu’os [Ac chp 2], with the firstfruits the ketzir chittim (wheat harvest), and the Chag HaAsif (Festival of Ingathering, Harvesttime [Yn chp 7]) shall be at the tekufat hashanah (changing, turning of the year).
23 Shalosh in the year shall all your men children appear before HaAdon Hashem Elohei Yisroel.
24 For I will drive out the Goyim before thee, and enlarge thy borders; neither shall any man covet thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before Hashem Eloheicha shalosh in the shanah.
25 Thou shalt not offer the dahm of My zevach with chametz; neither shall the zevach of the Chag HaPesach be left overnight unto the boker.
26 The reshit bikkurim of thy land thou shalt bring unto the Beis Hashem Eloheicha. Thou shalt not cook a kid in cholov immo.
27 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Write thou these devarim; for according to these devarim I have cut a brit with thee and with Yisroel.
28 And he was there with Hashem arba’im yom and arba’im lailah; he did neither eat lechem, nor drink mayim. And he wrote upon the Luchot the Divrei HaBrit (Words of the Covenant), the Aseres Hadevarim (Ten Commandments).
29 And it came to pass, when Moshe came down from Mt. Sinai with the two Luchot HaEdut in the yad Moshe, when he came down from HaHar, that Moshe had no da’as that the ohr (skin) of his face had become radiant when he had spoken with Him.
30 And when Aharon and kol Bnei Yisroel saw Moshe, hinei, the ohr (skin) of his face was radiant; and they were afraid to come near him.
31 And Moshe called unto them; and Aharon and kol HaNesi’im of the Edah returned unto him; and Moshe spoke with them.
32 And afterward kol Bnei Yisroel came near; and he gave them in commandment all that Hashem had spoken with him in Mt Sinai.
33 When Moshe had finished speaking with them, he put a masveh (veil, mask) on his face.
34 But when Moshe went in before Hashem to speak with Him, he took the masveh off, until he came out. And he came out, and spoke unto the Bnei Yisroel that which he was commanded.
35 And the Bnei Yisroel saw the face of Moshe, that the ohr of the face of Moshe was radiant; and Moshe put the masveh upon his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.
Exodus 34
King James Version
34 And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
2 And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.
3 And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.
4 And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
5 And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.
6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
16 And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.
17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
18 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
19 All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.
20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.
23 Thrice in the year shall all your menchildren appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel.
24 For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year.
25 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.
26 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
27 And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
28 And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
31 And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
32 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
33 And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
34 But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
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