Moses and the Elders on Mount Sinai

241 Then He said to Moses , " Come up to the Lord , you and Aaron , Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel , and you shall worship at a distance . 2 "Moses alone , however, shall come near to the Lord , but they shall not come near , nor shall the people come up with him." 3 Then Moses came and recounted to 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 which the Lord has spoken we will do !" 4 Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord . Then he arose early in the morning , and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve e pillars for the twelve e tribes of Israel . 5 He sent young men of the sons of Israel , and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord . 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins , and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on 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 !" 8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people , and said , "Behold the blood of the covenant , which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words ."

9 Then Moses went up with Aaron , Nadab and Abihu , and seventy of the elders of Israel , 10 and they saw the God of Israel ; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire , as clear as the sky itself . 11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel ; and they saw God , and they ate and drank .

12 Now the Lord said to Moses , "Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there , and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction ." 13 So Moses arose with Joshua his servant , and Moses went up to the mountain of God . 14 But to the elders he said , " Wait here for us until e we return to you. And behold , Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter , let him approach them." 15 Then Moses went up to the mountain , and the cloud covered the mountain . 16 The glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai , and the cloud covered it for six days ; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud . 17 And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the mountain top . 18 Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain ; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights .