A new copy of the Ten Commandments

1“Then Yahweh said to me, ‘Cut two stone tablets like the first ones. And make a wooden chest to put them in. Then bring the tablets up to me on this mountain.

2I will write on those tablets the same words that I wrote on the first tablets, the ones that you broke. Then you can put them in the chest.’

3“So I made a chest. I used wood from an acacia tree to make it. Then I cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I went up the mountain carrying the tablets.

4There Yahweh wrote on the tablets the same Ten Commandments that he had written on the first tablet. They are the commandments that he told to your ancestors from the middle of the fire on the mountain, when they were gathered at the bottom of the mountain. Then Yahweh gave the tablets to me,

5and I turned and went down the mountain. Then, just as he had commanded, I put them in the chest that I had made. And they are still there.”

6(Then, from the wells that belonged to the people of Jaakan, the Israeli people traveled to Moserah. There Aaron died and was buried, and his son Eleazar took his place and became the Supreme Priest.

7From there, the Israelis traveled to Gudgodah, and from there to Jotbathah, which was a place that had many streams.

8At that time, Yahweh ◄set apart/appointed► the tribe of Levi to carry the chest that contained the tablets on which were written the Ten Commandments, and to stand in Yahweh’s presence in the sacred tent, to offer sacrifices, and to pray for Yahweh to bless the people. They are still doing those things at the present time.

9That is the reason that the tribe of Levi did not receive any land like the other tribes did. What they received was the work/privilege of being Yahweh’s priests, which is what he said that they should do.)

10“I stayed on the mountain 40 days and nights, just like I did the first time. I prayed to Yahweh, and he ◄answered my prayers/did what I requested► again and said that he would not destroy your ancestors.

11Then Yahweh said to me, ‘Continue your journey, going in front of the people, to occupy the land that I vowed your ancestors that I would give to you.’”

What Yahweh required

12“Now, you Israeli people, I will tell you [RHQ] what Yahweh our God requires/demands that you do. He requires you to revere him, to conduct your lives as he wants you to, to love him, and to serve him wholeheartedly [DOU],

13and to obey all of his commandments [DOU] which I am giving to you today for your benefit.

14“Do not forget that Yahweh our God owns even the sky and everything that is in it. He also owns the earth and everything that is on it.

15But in spite of owning all those things, Yahweh loved your ancestors, and from all the people-groups on the earth he chose us, their descendants, and we are still his people.

16So you must stop sinning [MET] and stop being stubborn [IDM]!

17Yahweh our God is greater than all gods, and he is greater than all rulers. He is very powerful [DOU] and awesome. He ◄is impartial/does not do things that favor one ◄group/person► more than others►, and he does not accept bribes.

18He makes sure that orphans and widows are treated fairly. He loves even ◄foreigners/people from other countries► who live among us Israeli people, and he gives them food and clothes.

19So you must love those foreigners too, because you were once foreigners when you were living in Egypt.

20Revere Yahweh our God and worship only him. ◄Be faithful to/Have a close relationship with► him, and say that he should punish you if you do not do what you promise.

21He is the one whom you must praise. He is our God, and we have seen the great and amazing things that he has done for us.

22When our ancestors, Jacob and his family, went down to Egypt, there were only seventy of them. But now Yahweh our God has caused us to be as numerous as the stars in the sky.”