Re'eh - Reading #1

Re'eh רְאֵה - See!
Deuteronomy 11:26-16:1

Reading #1 - Deuteronomy 11:26–12:10

My Thoughts:

In verse 12:5 we learn that there is a place where Hashem will dwell, where He will put “His name”, But to the place which Hashem your Elohim shall choose out of all your tribes, to put His name there, you shall seek His habitation, and you shall come there.” That special place is at first the Tabernacle and then later the Temples (first and second). Right now of course, we do not have a Temple. But, we will. It is promised in Scripture. And there He will place His name and there will see Him and go to. It will be in Jerusalem and it will be when the Mashiach comes. We will be commanded to go there at least for the 3 required Feasts. But, I am sure we will all want to live in Israel during the Messianic Age! Study more and learn about this by reading Ezekiel

Challenge:

In verse we are challenged to “listen” to the commandments of Elohim and we will get a blessing. The way we “listen” can either be by hearing Him speak through Scripture or through prayer. Sometimes we can hear Him speak to us through other people too. But, your “spiritual antennas” must be in place to hear Him. That is why it is so important to study Torah every day! And that is what I challenge you today and every day -- to read the “Torah portion” and pray. Pray that you will “hear” His voice through your reading and prayer. That you will get direction in your life and learn how to live and worship Him. And as you study and pray you will learn how to love and serve others. By doing all this -- the blessing comes! And you will surely recognize it! Thank you Adonai for all you do and give to us. We love You!

Reading #1 - Deuteronomy 11:26-12:10

11:26 Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of Hashem your Elohim, which I command you today; 28 and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of Hashem your Elohim, but turn away out of the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. 29 It shall happen, when Hashem your Elohim brings you into the land that you go to possess, that you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal. 30 Aren’t they beyond the Jordan, behind the way of the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the Arabah near Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh? 31 For you are to pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Hashem your Elohim gives you, and you shall possess it and dwell in it. 32 You shall observe to do all the statutes and the ordinances which I set before you today.

12 These are the statutes and the ordinances which you shall observe to do in the land which Hashem, the Elohim of your fathers, has given you to possess all the days that you live on the earth. 2 You shall surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall dispossess served their gods: on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 3 You shall break down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, and burn their Asherah poles with fire. You shall cut down the engraved images of their gods. You shall destroy their name out of that place. 4 You shall not do so to Hashem your Elohim. 5 But to the place which Hashem your Elohim shall choose out of all your tribes, to put His name there, you shall seek His habitation, and you shall come there. 6 You shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, your vows, your free will offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock there. 7 There you shall eat before Hashem your Elohim, and you shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, in which Hashem your Elohim has blessed you. 8 You shall not do all the things that we do here today, every man whatever is right in his own eyes; 9 for you haven’t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which Hashem your Elohim gives you. 10 But when you go over the Jordan and dwell in the land which Hashem your Elohim  causes you to inherit, and he gives you rest from all your enemies around you, so that you dwell in safety,

Re'eh - Week #4

Re'eh רְאֵה - See!

Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17

Isaiah 54:11-55:5

John 6:35-51

1.1 First reading — Deuteronomy 11:26–12:10

1.2 Second reading — Deuteronomy 12:11–28

1.3 Third reading — Deuteronomy 12:29–13:19

1.4 Fourth reading — Deuteronomy 14:1–21

1.5 Fifth reading — Deuteronomy 14:22–29

1.6 Sixth reading — Deuteronomy 15:1–18

1.7 Seventh reading — Deuteronomy 15:19–16:17

Ekev - Reading #7

Ekev עֵקֶב - As a Result

Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25

Isaiah 49:14-51:3

Matthew 16:13-20

Reading #7 - Deuteronomy 11:22–25

My Thoughts:

In verse 22 we read once again about keeping all His Commandments and here is added to “cling to Him”. What do you think that means? When you cling to something you hold on pretty tight. And you are probably doing it because you are in some need of something. Here Hashem is telling us it’s okay to cling to Him, in fact He sounds like He is encouraging it. He says to walk with Him and cling to Him. And amazingly enough if we do all this He will drive out the enemy ahead of us. That’s really awesome. Start “clinging” to Hashem today -- whatever that looks like. Either through studying His Word, praying, worshiping, serving others, and just loving Him. Cling.

Challenge:

Okay now let’s look at the command to “walk in His ways”. What does that look like? Probably very simply to follow Torah. That's his way. So my challenge to you today is to continue on -- faithful servant. Try your best to follow His Commandments. You may not be doing a perfect job, but I believe Hashem knows when we are trying. If we truly want to walk in His ways -- this is required to follow His Commandments. Also remember this, we are to love Hashem and love our neighbor. Loving others is a heavy duty commandment that is sometimes very hard to follow. Especially if they have hurt us. Today forgive others and move on. Repent and turn. And let’s walk together with Hashem.

Reading #7 - Deuteronomy 11:22–25

11:22 For if you shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you—to do them, to love Hashem your Elohim, to walk in all His ways, and to cling to Him— 23 then Hashem will drive out all these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves. 24 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even to the western sea shall be your border. 25 No man will be able to stand before you. Hashem your Elohim will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you tread on, as He has spoken to you.

Haftarah

My Thoughts:

I think Hashem is talking to His people in exile. He speaks something very profound in verse 23,  “...those who wait for Me shall not be disappointed.” We can only imagine how the Isaelites felt as they were exiled to other countries. Would they ever be able to return? Hashem speaks to Isaiah and encourages him and the people. He says “wait” and you won’t be disappointed. It’s hard to wait isn’t it? Even for small things. Being in exile is huge. Look at the almost 2,000 years that the Jewish people had to wait to regain their country -- Israel. Did they ever give up, or did they continue and believe, “Next year Jerusalem”. And finally it happened. Right after World War 2 and the horrific Holocause -- Israel becomes a nation. They waited and were not disappointed. The same goes for us. Wait and be patient. He will deliver.

Challenge:

Isn’t it comforting in verse 16, “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands.” Our names are on His hands. He hasn’t forgotten us. He literally holds us in His hands. Isn’t that a calming thought? My challenge today is to take some time to think about this. Think about how you are held by Him and you need not worry about what is concerning you. Try to put your 100% trust in Him. Not only about your present concern, but about everything. Remember He loves us so much. And we love Him.

Haftarah: Isaiah 49:14-51:3

14 But Zion said, “Hashem has forsaken me,

    and the L-rd has forgotten me.”

15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,

    that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?

Yes, these may forget,

    yet I will not forget you!

16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.

    Your walls are continually before me.

17 Your children hurry.

    Your destroyers and those who devastated you will leave you.

18 Lift up your eyes all around, and see:

    all these gather themselves together, and come to you.

As I live,” says Hashem, “you shall surely clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament,

    and dress yourself with them, like a bride.

19 “For, as for your waste and your desolate places,

    and your land that has been destroyed,

surely now that land will be too small for the inhabitants,

    and those who swallowed you up will be far away.

20 The children of your bereavement will say in your ears,

    ‘This place is too small for me.

    Give me a place to live in.’

21 Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has conceived these for me, since I have been bereaved of my children

    and am alone, an exile, and wandering back and forth?

Who has brought these up?

    Behold, I was left alone. Where were these?’”

22 Hashem Adonai says, “Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations,

    and lift up my banner to the peoples.

They shall bring your sons in their bosom,

    and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.

23 Kings shall be your foster fathers,

    and their queens your nursing mothers.

They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth,

    and lick the dust of your feet.

Then you will know that I am Hashem;

    and those who wait for me shall not be disappointed.”

24 Shall the plunder be taken from the mighty,

    or the lawful captives be delivered?

25 But Hashem says, “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away,

    and the plunder retrieved from the fierce,

for I will contend with him who contends with you

    and I will save your children.

26 I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh;

    and they will be drunk on their own blood, as with sweet wine.

Then all flesh shall know that I, Hashem, am your Savior

    and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

50 Hashem says, “Where is the bill of your mother’s divorce, with which I have put her away?

    Or to which of my creditors have I sold you?

Behold, you were sold for your iniquities,

    and your mother was put away for your transgressions.

2 Why, when I came, was there no one?

    When I called, why was there no one to answer?

Is my hand shortened at all, that it can’t redeem?

    Or have I no power to deliver?

Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea.

    I make the rivers a wilderness.

    Their fish stink because there is no water, and die of thirst.

3 I clothe the heavens with blackness.

    I make sackcloth their covering.”

4 The Hashem Adonai has given me the tongue of those who are taught,

    that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary.

He awakens morning by morning,

    he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

5 Hashem Adonai has opened my ear.

    I was not rebellious.

    I have not turned back.

6 I gave my back to those who beat me,

    and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair.

    I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.

7 For Hashem Adonai will help me.

    Therefore I have not been confounded.

Therefore I have set my face like a flint,

    and I know that I won’t be disappointed.

8 He who justifies me is near.

    Who will bring charges against me?

Let us stand up together.

    Who is my adversary?

    Let him come near to me.

9 Behold, Hashem Adonai will help me!

    Who is he who will condemn me?

Behold, they will all grow old like a garment.

    The moths will eat them up.

10 Who among you fears Hashem

    and obeys the voice of his servant?

He who walks in darkness

    and has no light,

let him trust in Hashem’s name,

    and rely on his G-d.

11 Behold, all you who kindle a fire,

    who adorn yourselves with torches around yourselves,

walk in the flame of your fire,

    and among the torches that you have kindled.

You will have this from my hand:

    you will lie down in sorrow.

51 “Listen to me, you who follow after righteousness,

    you who seek Hashem.

Look to the rock you were cut from,

    and to the quarry you were dug from.

2 Look to Abraham your father,

    and to Sarah who bore you;

for when he was but one I called him,

    I blessed him,

    and made him many.

3 For Hashem has comforted Zion.

    He has comforted all her waste places,

    and has made her wilderness like Eden,

    and her desert like the garden of Yahweh.

Joy and gladness will be found in them,

    thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

Apostolic Reading

My Thoughts:

Hashem is revealing to the disciples who Yeshua is. He is the son of Elohim and the Mashiach. This is sometimes difficult for us to grasp. The Mashiach was supposed to deliver Israel from their oppressors and bring in the Messianic Age. Yeshua was unable to fulfill this as He was killed on the stakes (as were thousands of other Jews at this time). That does not mean He was not the Mashiach. He died and He was resurrected from the dead. He ascended to the right hand of Hashem. And will return to rule and reign from Jerusalem as the resurrected Mashiach. Study and learn more about this.

Challenge:

This reading is about discovering who Mashiach is. Different religions have different views on this. I believe Yeshua is the Mashiach and that He is returning. Both Jews and Christians believe the Mashiach is to come and rule and reign from the Temple in Jerusalem. So whether this Mashiach is believed to be Yeshua or not, we know that One is coming. My challenge is for you to pray and ask Hashem to reveal to you about the Mashiach and the plans for His reign. Study Ezekiel, chapters 38 to the end. You will learn a lot. I pray your eyes are opened wide to the truth. 

Apostolic Reading: Matthew 16:13-20

13 Now when Yeshua came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

14 They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Mashiach, the Son of the living Elohim.”

17 Yeshua answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock  I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.” 20 Then He commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that He was Yeshua the Mashiach.

Ekev - Reading #6

Ekev עֵקֶב - As a Result

Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25

Reading #6 - Deuteronomy 11:10–21

My Thoughts:

Do you want to take care of your own property (land) or would you prefer Hashem to care for it. Because today in verses 11 and 12 we learn that the Israelites are not going to have to tend the Land of Israel, but Hashem, Himself will bring rain from the sky and take care of it. But, there is always a contingency. And that is obedience to His Commandments. We read about this in verses 13 and 14, “It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to my commandments which I command you today, to love Hashem your Elohim, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul,  that I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.” It is always His agreement with us to obey and be blessed, or disobey and not be blessed. When Adam and Eve did not follow Hashem’s commands in the garden, they were not blessed and had to leave the presence of Elohim. I don’t think we really realize that when we sin there is a consequence. Yes we repent and make things right, but there will still be a form of “punishment” or withdrawal of blessing that will occur. If you are reading this then you already have experienced it. Is that right?

Challenge:

The challenge today is to examine your life. Clean up your “garden” and ask Hashem to tend to it now. You could pray something like this, “Hashem I love you so much. I am very sorry for disobeying your commandment of ___________. Please forgive me. I will try to make things right, but I need your help. Will you please assist me in living the pure and holy life? Will you please teach me your ways? Will you please put mentors and G-dly people in my life to associate with? Thank you Hashem. Amen.” Do this today. You want His rain in your garden, not water from the well that man dug.

Reading #6 - Deuteronomy 11:10–21

11:10 For the land, where you go in to possess isn’t like the land of Egypt that you came out of, where you sowed your seed and watered it with your foot, as a garden of herbs; 11 but the land that you go over to possess is a land of hills and valleys which drinks water from the rain of the sky, 12 a land which Hashem your Elohiim cares for. Hashem your Elohiim’s eyes are always on it, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year. 13 It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to my commandments which I command you today, to love Hashem your Elohim, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 that I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. 15 I will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full. 16 Be careful, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn away to serve other gods and worship them; 17 and Hashem’s anger be kindled against you, and He shut up the sky so that there is no rain, and the land doesn’t yield its fruit; and you perish quickly from off the good land which Hashem gives you. 18 Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 20 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates; 21 that your days and your children’s days may be multiplied in the land which Hashem swore to your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth.

Ekev - Reading #5

Ekev עֵקֶב - As a Result

Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25

Reading #5 - Deuteronomy 10:12–11:9

My Thoughts:

If you are wondering what Hashem requires of you to be in His presence, the answer is clearly written today in verse 10:12 “Now, Israel, what does Hashem your Elohim require of you, but to fear Hashem your Elohim to walk in all His ways, to love Him, and to serve Hashem your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul, to keep Hashem’s commandments and statutes, which I command you today for your good?” Walk, love, serve and keep His Commandments. That’s it. Do this and you will be in His presence. Don’t do it and you will not. I love this portion today. It answers so many questions.

Challenge:

There are not too many verses on heaven, but here is one today in verse 10:14, “Behold, to Hashem your Elohim belongs heaven, the heaven of heavens, and the earth with all that is therein.” Our Elohim is master over heaven and earth. What we want is to be with Him (and His Son the Messiah Yeshua) -- forever. If you read the verses above, then you will know what is required of you. Your challenge today is to think about heaven. Do some studying on it (I have challenged this for you before). Figure out how you get your name in the Book of Life. It will give you a lot of peace.

Reading #5 - Deuteronomy 10:12–11:9

10:12 Now, Israel, what does Hashem your Elohim require of you, but to fear Hashem your Elohim to walk in all His ways, to love Him, and to serve Hashem your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 to keep Hashem’s commandments and statutes, which I command you today for your good? 14 Behold, to Hashem your Elohim belongs heaven, the heaven of heavens, and the earth, with all that is therein. 15 Only Hashem had a delight in your fathers to love them, and He chose their offspring after them, even you above all peoples, as it is today. 16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked. 17 For Hashem your Elohim, He is Elohim of gods and L-rd of lords, the great G-d, the mighty, and the awesome, who doesn’t respect persons or take bribes. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and widow and loves the foreigner in giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the foreigner, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear Hashem your Elohim You shall serve Him. You shall cling to him, and you shall swear by His name. 21 He is your praise, and He is your Elohim, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down into Egypt with seventy persons; and now Hashem your Elohim has made you as the stars of the sky for multitude.

11 Therefore you shall love Hashem your Elohim, and keep His instructions, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments, always. 2 Know this day—for I don’t speak with your children who have not known, and who have not seen the chastisement of Hashem your Elohim, His greatness, His mighty hand, His outstretched arm, 3 His signs, and His works, which He did in the middle of Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and to all His land; 4 and what He did to the army of Egypt, to their horses, and to their chariots; how He made the water of the Red Sea to overflow them as they pursued you, and how Hashem has destroyed them to this day; 5 and what He did to you in the wilderness until you came to this place; 6 and what He did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben—how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the middle of all Israel; 7 but your eyes have seen all of Hashem’s great work which He did.

8 Therefore you shall keep the entire commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land that you go over to possess; 9 and that you may prolong your days in the land which Hashem swore to your fathers to give to them and to their offspring, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Ekev - Reading #4

Ekev עֵקֶב - As a Result

Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25

Reading #4 -  Deuteronomy 10:1–11 

My Thoughts:

Hashem writes the Commandments on the stone -- a second time. Moses doesn’t try to correct the mistake of his people (the golden calf), he only begs for forgiveness. Hashem corrects the mistake (breaking of the first tablets) and writes them again. Can you imagine? Here Moses has first had a wonderful set of tablets which Hashem wrote with His finger. He gets angry and breaks them. And then Hashem writes a second set. That is such a testimony that our Elohim is full of second chances. We must never forget this. He seems to continue to love us no matter what. Amen.

Challenge:

Hashem wants a “house” for His Holy Commandments. He has Moses build a small ark to contain them. The ark protects them and preserves them. Just like Hashem asks Moses to build a Tabernacle. And inside the Holy of Holies is the “protected” Shekinah glory of Elohim. It shows that Hashem “guards” holy things and we should do the same. We should take good care of our Bibles and reverence them. Even though the material they are constructed of,  is not necessarily “holy” the Words inside are. Today’s challenge is to make sure your Bible(s) are in a special place and that you take good care of it (them). Don’t pile other books on top of it. Don’t leave it outside in the rain, or in the bathroom. Remember that Hashem’s Words are holy and give you life. Protect and guard these Words - physically and in your heart. 

Reading #4 -  Deuteronomy 10:1–11

10:1 At that time Hashem said to me, “Cut two stone tablets like the first, and come up to me onto the mountain, and make an ark of wood. 2 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.” 3 So I made an ark of acacia wood, and cut two stone tablets like the first, and went up onto the mountain, having the two tablets in my hand. 4 He wrote on the tablets, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which Hashem spoke to you on the mountain out of the middle of the fire in the day of the assembly; and Hashem gave them to me. 5 I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are as Hashem commanded me.

6 (The children of Israel traveled from Beeroth Bene Jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest’s office in his place. 7 From there they traveled to Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water. 8 At that time Hashem set apart the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of Hashem’s covenant, to stand before Hashem to minister to him, and to bless in His name, to this day. 9 Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brothers; Hashem is his inheritance, according as Hashem your Elohim spoke to him.)

10 I stayed on the mountain, as at the first time, forty days and forty nights; and Hashem listened to me that time also. Hashem would not destroy you. 11 Hashem said to me, “Arise, take your journey before the people; and they shall go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give to them.”

Ekev - Reading #3

Ekev עֵקֶב - As a Result

Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25

Reading #3 - Deuteronomy 9:4–29

My Thoughts:

Hashem is reminding His people what really happened over the past 40 years. That it wasn’t all because of what they did but rather it was what the people in the Land neglected to do -- and that was to serve Hashem instead of false gods. We all have to be very careful that we do not go after false idols, and we do not forget where we came from. It is also important that we don’t “puff” ourselves up. It is important to be holy and in right relationship with Hashem. But, through it all we must remember that HE makes all the decisions, HE confirms all the plans, and HE owns all the cattle on the hills. All glory and credit, all worship, must go to HIM! Amen!

Challenge:

Moses falls on his face in prayer to ask Hashem to spare His people from His wrath. What a faithful intermediary for the people. I don’t know if they realized how he would stand in the gap for them -- so often. Or did they appreciate his thoughtfulness and how he would go to their defense? Think of a leader in your life that has defended you and stood up for you. Have you thanked him/her and recognized their helpfulness? That’s today’s challenge. Think hard about who always is there for you, who defends you and protects you. Tell them how grateful you are for him/her. And thank Hashem that He has put them in your life. Don’t delay. Hashem’s Word tends to be super timely. Amen.

Reading #3 - Deuteronomy 9:4–29

Don’t say in your heart, after Hashem your Elohim has thrust them out from before you, “For my righteousness Hashem has brought me in to possess this land;” because Hashem drives them out before you because of the wickedness of these nations. 5 Not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart do you go in to possess their land; but for the wickedness of these nations Hashem your Elohim does drive them out from before you, and that he may establish the word which Hashem swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 6 Know therefore that Hashem your Elohim doesn’t give you this good land to possess for your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people. 7 Remember, and don’t forget, how you provoked Hashem your Elohim to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you left the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against Hashem. 8 Also in Horeb you provoked Hashem to wrath, and Hashem was angry with you to destroy you. 9 When I had gone up onto the mountain to receive the stone tablets, even the tablets of the covenant which Hashem made with you, then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water. 10 Hashem delivered to me the two stone tablets written with God’s finger. On them were all the words which Hashem spoke with you on the mountain out of the middle of the fire in the day of the assembly.

11 It came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights that Hashem gave me the two stone tablets, even the tablets of the covenant. 12 Hashem said to me, “Arise, get down quickly from here; for your people whom you have brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned away from the way which I commanded them. They have made a molten image for themselves!”

13 Furthermore Hashem spoke to me, saying, “I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people. 14 Leave me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under the sky; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.”

15 So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire. The two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands. 16 I looked, and behold, you had sinned against Hashem your Elohim. You had made yourselves a molded calf. You had quickly turned away from the way which Hashem had commanded you. 17 I took hold of the two tablets, and threw them out of my two hands, and broke them before your eyes. 18 I fell down before Hashem, as at the first, forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you sinned, in doing that which was evil in Hashem’s sight, to provoke him to anger. 19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which Hashem was angry against you to destroy you. But Hashem listened to me that time also. 20 Hashem was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him. I prayed for Aaron also at the same time. 21 I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire, and crushed it, grinding it very small, until it was as fine as dust. I threw its dust into the brook that descended out of the mountain. 22 At Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth Hattaavah you provoked Hashem to wrath. 23 When Hashem sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying, “Go up and possess the land which I have given you,” you rebelled against the commandment of Hashem your Elohim, and you didn’t believe him or listen to his voice. 24 You have been rebellious against Hashem from the day that I knew you. 25 So I fell down before Hashem the forty days and forty nights that I fell down, because Hashem had said he would destroy you. 26 I prayed to Hashem, and said, “L-rd Hashem, don’t destroy your people and your inheritance that you have redeemed through your greatness, that you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 27 Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Don’t look at the stubbornness of this people, nor at their wickedness, nor at their sin, 28 lest the land you brought us out from say, ‘Because Hashem was not able to bring them into the land which he promised to them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.’ 29 Yet they are your people and your inheritance, which you brought out by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm.”