New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship at a distance.
1
And he said to Moses, Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, and Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the chiefs of Israel; and give me worship from a distance.
2 Moses alone shall come near the Lord; but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him."
2
And Moses only may come near to the Lord; but the others are not to come near, and the people may not come up with them.
3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do."
3
Then Moses came and put before the people all the words of the Lord and his laws: and all the people, answering with one voice, said, Whatever the Lord has said we will do.
4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and set up twelve pillars, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel.
4
Then Moses put down in writing all the words of the Lord, and he got up early in the morning and made an altar at the foot of the mountain, with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
5 He sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed oxen as offerings of well-being to the Lord.
5
And he sent some of the young men of the children of Israel to make burned offerings and peace-offerings of oxen to the Lord.
6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he dashed against the altar.
6
And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins; draining out half of the blood over the altar.
7 Then he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient."
7
And he took the book of the agreement, reading it in the hearing of the people: and they said, Everything which the Lord has said we will do, and we will keep his laws.
8 Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people, and said, "See the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words."
8
Then Moses took the blood and let it come on the people, and said, This blood is the sign of the agreement which the Lord has made with you in these words.
9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up,
9
Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the chiefs of Israel went up:
10 and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.
10
And they saw the God of Israel; and under his feet there was, as it seemed, a jewelled floor, clear as the heavens.
11 God did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; also they beheld God, and they ate and drank.
11
And he put not his hand on the chiefs of the children of Israel: they saw God, and took food and drink.
12 The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction."
12
And the Lord said to Moses, Come up to me on the mountain, and take your place there: and I will give you the stones on which I have put in writing the law and the orders, so that you may give the people knowledge of them.
13 So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.
13
Then Moses and Joshua his servant got up; and Moses went up into the mountain of God.
14 To the elders he had said, "Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them."
14
And he said to the chiefs, Keep your places here till we come back to you: Aaron and Hur are with you; if anyone has any cause let him go to them.
15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.
15
And Moses went up into the mountain, and it was covered by the cloud.
16 The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud.
16
And the glory of the Lord was resting on Mount Sinai, and the cloud was over it for six days; and on the seventh day he said Moses' name out of the cloud.
17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.
17
And the glory of the Lord was like a flame on the top of the mountain before the eyes of the children of Israel.
18 Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
18
And Moses went up the mountain, into the cloud, and was there for forty days and forty nights.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.