Exodus 19
Israel Camps at Sinai
1 Exactly three months after the Israelites had left Egypt, they reached the Desert of Sinai.2 When they left Rephidim, they came to the Desert of Sinai and camped in the desert in front of the mountain.3 Then Moses went up on the mountain to God. The Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “Say this to the family of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel:4 ‘Every one of you has seen what I did to the people of Egypt. You saw how I carried you out of Egypt, as if on eagle’s wings. And I brought you here to me.5 So now if you obey me and keep my agreement, you will be my own possession, chosen from all nations. Even though the whole earth is mine,
6 you will be my kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ You must tell the Israelites these words.”
7 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.
8 All the people answered together, “We will do everything he has said.” Then Moses took their answer back to the Lord.
9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud and speak to you. The people will hear me speaking with you and will always trust you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.
10 The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and have them spend today and tomorrow preparing themselves. They must wash their clothes11 and be ready by the day after tomorrow. On that day I, the Lord, will come down on Mount Sinai, and all the people will see me.12 But you must set a limit around the mountain that the people are not to cross. Tell them not to go up on the mountain and not to touch the foot of it. Anyone who touches the mountain must be put to death
13 with stones or shot with arrows. No one is allowed to touch him. Whether it is a person or an animal, he will not live. But the trumpet will make a long blast, and only then may the people go up on the mountain.”
14 After Moses went down from the mountain to the people, he made them prepare themselves for service to God, and they washed their clothes.
15 Then Moses said to the people, “Be ready in three days. Do not have sexual relations during this time.”
16 On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning with a thick cloud on the mountain. There was a very loud blast from a trumpet, and all the people in the camp trembled.17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord came down on it in fire. The smoke rose from the mountain like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook wildly.
19 The sound from the trumpet became louder. Then Moses spoke, and the voice of God answered him.
20 When the Lord came down on top of Mount Sinai, he called Moses to come up to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.21 The Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people that they must not force their way through to see me. If they do, many of them will die.
22 Even the priests, who may come near me, must first prepare themselves. If they don’t, I, the Lord, will punish them.”
23 Moses told the Lord, “The people cannot come up on Mount Sinai, because you yourself told us, ‘Set a limit around the mountain, and set it apart as holy.’ ”
24 The Lord said to him, “Go down and bring Aaron up with you, but don’t allow the priests or the people to force their way through. They must not come up to the Lord, or I will punish them.”
25 So Moses went down to the people and told them these things.
Exodus 19
Israel at Sinai
1 s In the third month after the Israelites went outt from the land of Egypt, on the very day,t they came to the Desert of Sinai.
2 After they journeyedt from Rephidim, they came to the Desert of Sinai, and they camped in the desert; Israel camped there in front of the mountain.s
3 Mosest went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, “Thus you will tell the house of Jacob, and declare to the peoplet of Israel:4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I lifted you on eagles’ wingst and brought you to myself.s5 And now, if you will diligently listen to met and keept my covenant, then you will be myt special possessiont out of all the nations, for all the earth is mine,
6 and you will be to met a kingdom of priestst and a holy nation.’t These are the words that you will speak to the Israelites.”
7 So Moses came and summoned the elders of Israel. He set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him,
8 and all the people answered together, “All that the Lord has commanded we will do!”t So Moses brought the words of the people back to the Lord.
9 The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to comet to you in a dense cloud,t so that the people may hear when I speak with you and so that they will always believe in you.”t And Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.
10 The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and sanctify themt today and tomorrow, and make them washt their clothes11 and be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.12 You must set boundariest for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heedt to yourselves not to go up on the mountain nor touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death!
13 No hand will touch hims – but he will surely be stoned or shot through, whether a beast or a human being;t he must not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast they mayt go up on the mountain.”
14 Then Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes.
15 He said to the people, “Be ready for the third day. Do not go near your wives.”ts
16 Ont the third day in the morning there was thunder and lightning and a denset cloud on the mountain, and the sound of a very loudt horn;t all the people who were in the camp trembled.17 Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their place at the foot of the mountain.18 Now Mount Sinai was completely covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire, and its smoke went up like the smoke of a great furnace,s and the whole mountain shookt violently.
19 When the sound of the horn grew louder and louder,t Moses was speakingt and God was answering him with a voice.t
20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.21 The Lord said to Moses, “Go down and solemnly warnt the people, lest they force their way through to the Lord to look, and many of them perish.t
22 Let the priests also, who approach the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break throught against them.”
23 Moses said to the Lord, “The people are not able to come up to Mount Sinai, because you solemnly warned us,t ‘Set boundaries for the mountain and set it apart.’”t24 The Lord said to him, “Go, get down, and come up, and Aaron with you, but do not let the priests and the people force their way through to come up to the Lord, lest he break through against them.”
25 So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.s