8. Moses bowed down to the ground at once and worshiped.
9. "Lord," he said, "if you are pleased with me, then go with us. Even though these people are stubborn, forgive the evil things we have done. Forgive our sin. And accept us as your people."
10. Then the Lord said, "I am making a covenant with you. I will do wonderful things in front of all of your people. I will do miracles that have never been done before in any nation in the whole world. The people you live among will see the things that I, the Lord, will do for you. And they will see how wonderful those things really are.
11. "Obey what I command you today. I will drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites to make room for you.
12. "Be careful. Do not make a peace treaty with those who live in the land where you are going. They will be a trap to you.
13. Tear down their altars. Smash their sacred stones. Cut down the poles they use to worship the goddess Asherah.
14. Do not worship any other god. I am a jealous God. In fact, my name is Jealous.
15. "Be careful not to make a peace treaty with those who live in the land. They commit sin by offering sacrifices to their gods. They will invite you to eat their sacrifices.
16. You will choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons. And those daughters will commit sin by worshiping their gods. Then they will lead your sons to do the same thing.
17. "Do not make statues of gods.
18. "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread that is made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Do it at the appointed time in the month of Abib. You came out of Egypt in that month.
19. "Every male animal that is born first to its mother belongs to me. That includes your livestock. It includes herds and flocks alike.
20. Sacrifice a lamb to buy back every male donkey that is born first to its mother. But if you do not buy the donkey back, break its neck. Buy back every oldest son. "You must not come to worship me with your hands empty.
21. "Do your work in six days. But you must rest on the seventh day. Even when you are plowing your land or gathering your crops, you must rest on the seventh day.
22. "Celebrate the Feast of Weeks. Bring the first share of your wheat crop. "Celebrate the Feast of Booths. Hold it in the fall.
23. "Three times a year all of your men must come to worship me. I am your Lord and King, the God of Israel.
24. I will drive out nations ahead of you. I will increase your territory. Go up three times a year to worship me. While you are doing that, I will keep others from wanting to take any of your land for themselves. I am the Lord your God.
25. "Do not include anything that is made with yeast when you offer me the blood of a sacrifice. You must not keep any of the meat from the sacrifice of the Passover Feast until morning.
26. "Bring the best of the first share of your crops to my house. I am the Lord your God. "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk."