Exodus 24 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Then he said to Moses, "Come up to Yahweh — you, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders. Bow down at a distance,

but only Moses is to approach Yahweh directly. The others must not come close, and the people must not come up with him at all."

Moses went and told the people everything Yahweh had said and all his instructions. The people all answered together, "We will do everything Yahweh has said."

Moses wrote down everything Yahweh had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the base of the mountain, along with twelve stone pillars — one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

He sent young Israelite men to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice young bulls as peace offerings to Yahweh.

Moses took half the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar.

Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it out loud to the people. They said, "We will do everything Yahweh has said. We will obey."

Moses then took the blood and splashed it on the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant that Yahweh has made with you, based on all these terms."

Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders went up,

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

God did not strike down the leaders of Israel. They saw God, and they ate and drank together.

Yahweh said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay here. I will give you the stone tablets — the instructions and commands I have written to teach them."

So Moses set out with Joshua his assistant, and Moses went up the mountain of God.

He told the elders, "Wait here for us until we come back. Aaron and Hur are with you — anyone with a dispute can go to them."

Then Moses went up the mountain, and the cloud covered it.

The visible glory of Yahweh settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered the mountain for six days. On the seventh day, Yahweh called to Moses from inside the cloud.

To the Israelites below, the visible glory of Yahweh looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.

Moses entered the cloud and went up the mountain. He stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.