A new copy of the Ten Commandments

10 “Then Yahweh said to me, ‘Cut two stone tablets like the first ones. And make a wooden chest to put them in. Then bring the tablets up to me on this mountain. 2 I will write on those tablets the same words that I wrote on the first tablets, the ones that you broke. Then you can put them in the chest.’

3 “So I made a chest. I used wood from an acacia tree to make it. Then I cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I went up the mountain carrying the tablets. 4 There Yahweh wrote on the tablets the same Ten Commandments that he had written on the first tablet. They are the commandments that he told to your ancestors from the middle of the fire on the mountain, when they were gathered at the bottom of the mountain. Then Yahweh gave the tablets to me, 5 and I turned and went down the mountain. Then, just as he had commanded, I put them in the chest that I had made. And they are still there.”

6 (Then, from the wells that belonged to the people of Jaakan, the Israeli people traveled to Moserah. There Aaron died and was buried, and his son Eleazar took his place and became the Supreme Priest. 7 From there, the Israelis traveled to Gudgodah, and from there to Jotbathah, which was a place that had many streams. 8 At that time, Yahweh ◄set apart/appointed► the tribe of Levi to carry the chest that contained the tablets on which were written the Ten Commandments, and to stand in Yahweh’s presence in the sacred tent, to offer sacrifices, and to pray for Yahweh to bless the people. They are still doing those things at the present time. 9 That is the reason that the tribe of Levi did not receive any land like the other tribes did. What they received was the work/privilege of being Yahweh’s priests, which is what he said that they should do.)

10 “I stayed on the mountain 40 days and nights, just like I did the first time. I prayed to Yahweh, and he ◄answered my prayers/did what I requested► again and said that he would not destroy your ancestors. 11 Then Yahweh said to me, ‘Continue your journey, going in front of the people, to occupy the land that I vowed your ancestors that I would give to you.’ ”