Study Desk

At this time the whole world spoke one language, and everyone used the same words.

When Abraham's servant heard these words, he bowed facedown on the ground before the Lord .

When Esau heard the words of his father, he let out a loud and bitter cry. He said to his father, "Bless me—me, too, my father!"

So don't be afraid. I will take care of you and your children." So Joseph comforted his brothers and spoke kind words to them.

But Moses said to the Lord , "Please, Lord, I have never been a skilled speaker. Even now, after talking to you, I cannot speak well. I speak slowly and can't find the best words."

you will be my kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' You must tell the Israelites these words."

So Moses went down and called the elders of the people together. He told them all the words the Lord had commanded him to say.

Then God spoke all these words:

Moses told the people all the Lord 's words and laws for living. Then all of the people answered out loud together, "We will do all the things the Lord has said."

So Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord . And he got up early the next morning and built an altar near the bottom of the mountain. He set up twelve stones, one stone for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Then Moses took the blood from the bowls and sprinkled it on the people, saying, "This is the blood that begins the Agreement, the Agreement which the Lord has made with you about all these words."

Carve the names of the sons of Israel on these stones in the same way a person carves words and designs on a seal. Put gold around the stones to hold them on the holy vest.

"Make a strip of pure gold and carve these words on it as you would carve a seal: ‘Holy to the Lord .'

The Lord said to Moses, "Cut two more stone tablets like the first two, and I will write the same words on them that were on the first two stones which you broke.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write down these words, because with these words I have made an agreement with you and Israel."

Moses stayed there with the Lord forty days and forty nights, and during that time he did not eat food or drink water. And Moses wrote the words of the Agreement—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets.

They put gold around the onyx stones and then wrote the names of the sons of Israel on these gems, as a person carves words and designs on a seal.

They made a strip of pure gold, which is the holy crown, and carved these words in the gold, as one might carve on a seal: "Holy to the Lord ."

"‘The priest should write these curses on a scroll, wash the words off into the bitter water,

He said, "Listen to my words: When prophets are among you, I, the Lord , will show myself to them in visions; I will speak to them in dreams.