The Lord then told Moses to chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and upon them He would once again write the words that had been broken. Early in the morning, Moses climbed Mount Sinai with the tablets in his hands, just as the Lord had commanded. No one else was allowed to approach the mountain, not even the flocks and herds grazing nearby.
Then the Lord descended in a cloud and stood with Moses, proclaiming His name: "The Lord, the Lord, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, showing love to thousands, forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin—but not leaving the guilty unpunished, for the sin of the fathers is visited upon the children to the third and fourth generation."
At once, Moses bowed low to the ground and worshiped. "O Lord," he pleaded, "if I have found favor in Your eyes, then let Your Presence go with us. Though we are a stiff-necked people, forgive our sins and take us as Your inheritance."
The Lord replied, "I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will perform wonders never before seen in any nation of the world. The nations around you will witness the awesome work I will do. But obey what I command today: I will drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites before you. Do not make treaties with them, for they will become a snare to you. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles. Do not worship any other god, for I, the Lord, whose name is Jealous, am a jealous God."
He warned them not to marry into the nations of the land, lest their sons and daughters be led astray to serve other gods. He commanded them not to make idols, to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt, to consecrate every firstborn to Him, and to rest on the seventh day even in times of harvest. Three times a year, all the men of Israel were to appear before the Lord, and He promised that no one would covet their land during these journeys, for He Himself would guard it.
The Lord gave further commands: not to mix yeast with sacrifices, not to let the Passover offering remain until morning, to bring the best of the firstfruits into His house, and never to cook a young goat in its mother's milk. Then He said to Moses, "Write down these words, for with them I have made a covenant with you and Israel."
So Moses stayed with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He ate no bread and drank no water, and on the tablets he wrote the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.
When Moses descended from Mount Sinai with the tablets in his hands, he did not realize that his face was shining because he had spoken with the Lord. But Aaron and the people saw the radiance and were afraid to come near. Moses called them back, and he gave them all the commands of the Lord. Afterward, he covered his face with a veil.
Whenever Moses entered the Lord's presence, he removed the veil until he came out, and the people would see his radiant face. Then he would cover it again until he returned to speak with the Lord.