1The Lord told Moses, “Come up to the Lord—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders. You are to worship at a distance.

2Only Moses may approach the Lord—the others must not come near. The people may not go up the mountain ⁶¹with him.”

3Moses went and told the people all the Lord's instructions and regulations. They all responded together: “We will do everything the Lord says!”

4Moses wrote down everything the Lord had said. He got up early the following morning and built an altar at the bottom of the mountain, and set up twelve pillars for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

5Then he sent out some young Israelite men who went and offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord.

6Moses put half of the blood into bowls, and sprinkled the other half on the altar.

7Then he picked up the Book of the Agreement and read it to the people. They replied, “We will do everything the Lord says. We will obey.”

8So Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the agreement that the Lord has made with you following these terms.”

9Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders climbed up the mountain,

10and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a tiled pavement made of lapis lazuli, as clear blue as the sky itself.

11But God did not harm ⁶²the leaders of Israel—they saw him, and they ate and drank a sacred meal. ⁶³

12Then the Lord told Moses, “Come up the mountain to me, and stay here, so I can give you the stone tablets, with the instructions and commands I have written for them to learn.”

13So Moses left with Joshua his attendant and climbed up the mountain of God.

14He told the elders, “Stay here and wait for us to return. Aaron and Hur are with you. If anyone has a problem, they can talk with them.”

15As Moses climbed up on the mountain, the cloud covered it.

16The Lord's glory came down on Mount Sinai, covering it for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud.

17To the Israelites the Lord's glory looked like a burning fire on the top of the mountain.

18Moses went into the cloud as he climbed up on the mountain, and he stayed on the mountain for forty days and nights.