1 “ At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Hew for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to Me on the mountain and make yourself an ark of wood.

“At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Cut out for yourself two pieces of stone like the other ones. Then come up to Me on the mountain, and make a box of wood.

2 A nd I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you shall put them in the ark.’

I will write on the pieces of stone the words that were on the other pieces of stone which you broke. And you will put them in the box.’

3 “ So I made an ark of acacia wood, hewed two tablets of stone like the first, and went up the mountain, having the two tablets in my hand.

So I made a box of acacia wood and cut out two pieces of stone like the other ones. Then I went up the mountain with the two stone pieces in my hand.

4 A nd He wrote on the tablets according to the first writing, the Ten Commandments, which the Lord had spoken to you in the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me.

The Lord wrote the Ten Laws the same as before on the pieces of stone which He had spoken to you on the mountain from the fire on the day of the meeting. And the Lord gave them to me.

5 T hen I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, just as the Lord commanded me.”

Then I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the stone pieces in the box I had made. There they are, as the Lord told me.”

6 ( Now the children of Israel journeyed from the wells of Bene Jaakan to Moserah, where Aaron died, and where he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered as priest in his stead.

(The people of Israel traveled from the wells of the sons of Jaakan to Moserah. Aaron died there and was buried and his son Eleazar took his place as religious leader.

7 F rom there they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of rivers of water.

From there they traveled to Gudgodah. And from Gudgodah they went to Jotbathah, a land of rivers of water.

8 A t that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day.

At that time the Lord set apart the family of Levi to carry the special box of the Law of the Lord, and to stand before the Lord to work for Him and honor His name to this day.

9 T herefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance, just as the Lord your God promised him.)

So Levi does not have a share of what is given to his brothers. The Lord is his share, just as the Lord your God promised him.)

10 “ As at the first time, I stayed in the mountain forty days and forty nights; the Lord also heard me at that time, and the Lord chose not to destroy you.

“Once more I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, like the first time. And the Lord listened to me that time also. The Lord did not destroy you.

11 T hen the Lord said to me, ‘Arise, begin your journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.’ The Essence of the Law

Then the Lord said to me, ‘Get up. Travel in front of the people, so they may go in and take the land which I promised to give their fathers.’ What God Wants

12 “ And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you? He wants you to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him. He wants you to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul.

13 a nd to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?

He wants you to keep all the Laws of the Lord which I am telling you today for your good.

14 I ndeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it.

See, heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it belong to the Lord your God.

15 T he Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day.

The Lord had joy in loving your fathers more than other nations, and you are still His chosen people to this day.

16 T herefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.

So then, from now on, obey the Lord. Do not be strong-willed any more.

17 F or the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.

For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords. He is the great and powerful God and is to be honored with fear. He does not show favor, and cannot be bought with money.

18 H e administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing.

He does what is right and fair for the child without parents and the woman whose husband has died. He shows His love for the stranger by giving him food and clothing.

19 T herefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

So show your love for the stranger. For you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

20 Y ou shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.

Fear the Lord your God. Work for Him, hold on to Him, and swear by His name.

21 H e is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.

He is your praise and He is your God. You have seen the great and powerful things He has done for you.

22 Y our fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude.

Your fathers went to Egypt, seventy people in all. And now the Lord your God has made you as many as the stars of heaven.