Exodus 19
1 In the third month of the departure of Israel from the land of Egypt, in that day, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai.
And in the third month of the departure of the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came into the wilderness of Sina.
2 Thus, setting out from Raphidim, and going directly to the desert of Sinai, they encamped in the same place, and there Israel pitched their tents away from the region of the mountain.
And they departed from Raphidin, and came into the wilderness of Sina, and there Israel encamped before the mountain.
3 Then Moses ascended to God. And the Lord called to him from the mountain, and he said: “This you shall say to the house of Jacob, and announce to the sons of Israel:
And Moses went up to the mount of God, and God called him out of the mountain, saying, These things shall you say to the house of Jacob, and you shall report them to the children of Israel.
4 ‘You have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, in what way I carried you upon the wings of eagles and how I have taken you for myself.
You have seen all that I have done to the Egyptians, and I took you up as upon eagles' wings, and I brought you near to myself.
5 If, therefore, you will hear my voice, and you will keep my covenant, you will be to me a particular possession out of all people. For all the earth is mine.
And now if you will indeed hear my voice, and keep my covenant, you shall be to me a peculiar people above all nations; for the whole earth is mine.
6 And you will be to me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you will speak to the sons of Israel.”
And you shall be to me a royal priesthood and a holy nation: these words shall you speak to the children of Israel.
7 Moses went, and calling together those greater by birth among the people, he set forth all the words which the Lord had commanded.
And Moses came and called the elders of the people, and he set before them all these words, which God appointed them.
8 And all the people responded together: “Everything that the Lord has spoken, we shall do.” And when Moses had related the words of the people to the Lord,
And all the people answered with one accord, and said, All things that God has spoken, we will do and listen to: and Moses reported these words to God.
9 the Lord said to him: “Soon now, I will come to you in the mist of a cloud, so that the people may hear me speaking to you, and so that they may believe you continuously.” Therefore, Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord,
And the Lord said to Moses, Behold! I come to you in a pillar of a cloud, that the people may hear me speaking to you, and may believe you for ever: and Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.
10 who said to him: “Go to the people, and sanctify them today, and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments.
And the Lord said to Moses, Go down and solemnly charge the people, and sanctify them today and to-morrow, and let them wash their garments.
11 And let them be prepared on the third day. For on the third day, the Lord will descend, in the sight of all the people, over Mount Sinai.
And let them be ready against the third day, for on the third day the Lord will descend upon mount Sina before all the people.
12 And you will establish limits for the people all around, and you will say to them: ‘Take care not to ascend to the mountain, and that you do not touch its parts. All who touch the mountain, shall die a death.’
And you shall separate the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves that you go not up into the mountain, nor touch any part of it: every one that touches the mountain shall surely die.
13 Hands shall not touch him, but he shall be crushed with stones, or he shall be pierced through with darts. Whether it be a beast or a man, he shall not live. For when the trumpet begins to sound, perhaps they might go up toward the mountain.”
A hand shall not touch it, for [every one that touches] shall be stoned with stones or shot through with a dart, whether beast or whether man, it shall not live: when the voices and trumpets and cloud depart from off the mountain, they shall come up on the mountain.
14 And Moses came down from the mountain to the people, and he sanctified them. And when they had washed their garments,
And Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified them, and they washed their clothes.
15 he said to them, “Be prepared on the third day, and do not draw near to your wives.”
And he said to the people, Be ready: for three days come not near to a woman.
16 And now, the third day arrived and the morning dawned. And behold, thunders began to be heard, and also lightning flashed, and a very dense cloud covered the mountain, and the noise of the trumpet resounded vehemently. And the people who were in the camp were fearful.
And it came to pass on the third day, as the morning drew near, there were voices and lightnings and a dark cloud on mount Sina: the voice of the trumpet sounded loud, and all the people in the camp trembled.
17 And when Moses had led them out to meet God, from the place of the camp, they stood at the base of the mountain.
And Moses led the people forth out of the camp to meet God, and they stood by under the camp.
18 Then all of Mount Sinai was smoking. For the Lord had descended over it with fire, and smoke ascended from it, as from a furnace. And the entire mountain was terrible.
The mount of Sina was altogether on a smoke, because God had descended upon it in fire; and the smoke went up as the smoke of a furnace, and the people were exceedingly amazed.
19 And the sound of the trumpet gradually increased to be louder, and extended to be longer. Moses was speaking, and God was answering him.
And the sounds of the trumpet were waxing very much louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice.
20 And the Lord descended over Mount Sinai, to the very top of the mountain, and he called Moses to its summit. And when he had ascended there,
And the Lord came down upon mount Sina on the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
21 he said to him: “Descend, and call the people to witness, lest they might be willing to transgress the limits, so as to see the Lord, and a very great multitude of them might perish.
And God spoke to Moses, saying, Go down, and solemnly charge the people, lest at any time they draw near to God to gaze, and a multitude of them fall.
22 Likewise, the priests who approach toward the Lord, let them be sanctified, lest he strike them down.”
And let the priests that draw near to the Lord God sanctify themselves, destroy some of them.
23 And Moses said to the Lord: “The people are not able to ascend to Mount Sinai. For you testified, and you commanded, saying: ‘Set limits around the mountain, and sanctify it.’”
And Moses said to God, The people will not be able to approach to the mount of Sina, for you have solemnly charged us, saying, Set bounds to the mountain and sanctify it.
24 And the Lord said to him, “Go, descend. And you shall ascend, and Aaron with you. But let not the priests or the people transgress the limits, nor ascend to the Lord, lest perhaps he may put them to death.”
And the Lord said to him, Go, descend, and come up you and Aaron with you; but let not the priests and the people force their way to come up to God, lest the Lord destroy some of them.
25 And Moses descended to the people, and he explained everything to them.
And Moses went down to the people, and spoke to them.
