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.
The Israeli people then left Rephidim, and exactly two months after leaving Egypt, they/we came to the desert near Sinai [Mountain]. They/We set up their/our tents at the base of the mountain.
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.
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:
Moses/I climbed up the mountain [to talk with] God. Yahweh called to [him/me] from [the top of] the mountain and said, “This is what I want you to say to the Israeli people, the descendants of Jacob:
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 what I did to the Egyptians. You have seen [what I did for all of you] and how I brought you here to me. It was as though I [lifted you up as] an eagle [carries its young eaglets] on its wings [MET].
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.
So now, if you will do what I tell you and obey all that I command you, you will be my own people. All the people-groups on the earth are mine, but you will be (dearer/more special) to me than all the other people-groups.
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.”
You will be people over whom I will rule, and you will all (be like priests/represent me to other nations as priests represent me to one nation) [MET], and you will be completely dedicated to me.’ That is what you must tell the Israeli people.”
7 Moses went, and calling together those greater by birth among the people, he set forth all the words which the Lord had commanded.
So Moses/I went [down the mountain] and summoned the elders/leaders of the people. He/I told them everything that Yahweh had told him/me to tell 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,
The people all said, “We will do everything that Yahweh has told us to do.” Then Moses/I [climbed back up the mountain and] reported to Yahweh what the people had said.
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,
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “[Listen carefully]: I am going to appear to you from inside a thick cloud. When I am speaking to you, the people will hear it, and they will always trust in you.” Then Moses/I went [down the mountain and reported to the people what Yahweh said. Then he/I went back up the mountain and] told Yahweh what the people replied.
10 who said to him: “Go to the people, and sanctify them today, and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments.
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Go [back down] to the people [again]. [Tell them to] purify themselves today and tomorrow. [Tell them to] wash their clothes, too.
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.
They must do that to be ready on the day after tomorrow. On that day I will come down to Sinai Mountain to where all the people can see me.
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.’
You must make a boundary around the base of the mountain, and tell them, ‘Be sure that you do not climb the mountain or even go near it. Anyone who even touches the base of the mountain must be executed.’
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.”
Do not let anyone touch any person or any animal that touches the mountain. You must [kill any person or animal that touches the mountain] by throwing stones at it or shooting it [with arrows]. But when you hear a long [loud] trumpet sound, the people can come close to the [base of the] mountain.”
14 And Moses came down from the mountain to the people, and he sanctified them. And when they had washed their garments,
So Moses/I went down the mountain [again] and told the people to purify themselves. They did what Moses/I told them to do, and they also washed their clothes.
15 he said to them, “Be prepared on the third day, and do not draw near to your wives.”
Then Moses/I said to the people, “Be ready on the day after tomorrow. And [you men] must not have sex with [EUP] [your wives] until after then.”
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.
Two days later, during the morning, there was thunder and lightning, and a very dark cloud on the mountain. A trumpet sounded very loudly, with the result that the people in the camp shook/trembled because they [were very afraid].
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.
Then Moses/I led the people outside the camp to meet with God. They stood at the base of the mountain.
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.
All of Sinai Mountain was covered in smoke, because Yahweh had descended on it, surrounded by a fire. The smoke rose up like the smoke from [the chimney of] a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently.
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.
As the sound of the trumpet continued to become louder, Moses/I spoke [to Yahweh], and Yahweh answered [him/me] in [a loud voice that sounded like] thunder.
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,
Then Yahweh came down [again] onto the top of Sinai Mountain, and he summoned Moses/me to come up to the top of the mountain. So Moses/I 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.
Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Go down again and warn the people not to cross the boundary in order to look [at me]. If they [do] that, many of them will die.
22 Likewise, the priests who approach toward the Lord, let them be sanctified, lest he strike them down.”
Also, the priests who habitually come near me must purify themselves. If they do not do that, I will punish 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.’”
Then Moses/I said to Yahweh, “The people will not climb the mountain, because you commanded them, saying, ‘Set a boundary around the mountain, to make it sacred/taboo.’”
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.”
Yahweh replied, “Go down the mountain, and bring Aaron back up with you. But do not allow the priests or other people to cross the boundary to come up to me. If they cross it, I will punish them.”
25 And Moses descended to the people, and he explained everything to them.
So Moses/I went down the mountain [again] and told the people [what Yahweh had said].
