Exodus 19
1 In the third month of the departure of Israel out of the land of Egypt, on this day they came into the wilderness of Sinai:
Two months to the day after they left Egypt, the Israelites arrived at the Sinai desert.
2 For departing out of Raphidim, and coming to the desert of Sinai, they camped in the same place, and there Israel pitched their tents over against the mountain.
They had set out from Rephidim, and after they entered the Sinai desert they camped there in front of the mountain.
3 And Moses went up to God: and the Lord called unto him from the mountain, and said: Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:
Moses went up the mountain to God. The Lord spoke to Moses from the mountain, and told him, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob, the Israelites:
4 You have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, how I have carried you upon the wings of eagles, and have taken you to myself.
‘You saw for yourselves what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles' wings, how I brought you to myself.
5 If therefore you will hear my voice, and keep my covenant, you shall be my peculiar possession above all people: for all the earth is mine.
Now if you really obey what I say and keep the agreement with me, then out of all the nations you will be a special people that belong to me. While the whole world is mine,
6 And you shall be to me a priestly kingdom, and a holy nation. Those are the words thou shalt speak to the children of Israel.
for me you will be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.’ This is what you are to tell the Israelites.”
7 Moses came, and calling together the elders of the people, he declared all the words which the Lord had commanded.
So Moses went back down and summoned the elders of the people, and presented to them everything the Lord had ordered him to say.
8 And all the people answered together: All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do. And when Moses had related the people’s words to the Lord,
Everyone answered, “We promise to do everything the Lord says.” Then Moses took the people's answer back to the Lord.
9 The Lord said to him: Lo, now will I come to thee in the darkness of a cloud, that the people may hear me speaking to thee, and may believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.
The Lord told Moses, “Look! I'm going to come to you in a thick cloud so the people will hear me speaking with you and as a result they will always trust you.” Then Moses reported to the Lord what the people had said.
10 And he said to him: Go to the people, and sanctify them today, and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments.
The Lord told Moses, “Go back down and prepare them spiritually today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes
11 And let them be ready against the third day: for on the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
and be ready on the third day because that is when the Lord will descend upon Mount Sinai in the full view of everyone.
12 And thou shalt appoint certain limits to the people round about, and thou shalt say to them: Take heed you go not up into the mount, and that ye touch not the borders thereof: every one that toucheth the mount dying he shall die.
Set up a boundary for the people all around and warn them, ‘Watch out! Don't try to go up the mountain—don't even touch it! For anyone who touches the mountain will most certainly be killed. Don't touch any person or any animal that has touched the mountain.
13 No hands shall touch him, but he shall be stoned to death, or shall be shot through with arrows: whether it be beast, or man, he shall not live. When the trumpet shall begin to sound, then let them go up into the mount.
Make sure they are stoned or shot with arrows—they must not be allowed to live.’ Only when there is a long blast on the ram's horn can the people come up the mountain.”
14 And Moses came down from the mount to the people, and sanctified them. And when they had washed their garments,
Moses went down the mountain and prepared the people spiritually and they washed their clothes.
15 He said to them: Be ready against the third day, and come not near your wives.
He instructed the people, “Get ready for the third day, and don't be intimate with a woman.”
16 And now the third day was come, and the morning appeared: and behold thunders began to be heard, and lightning to flash, and a very thick cloud to cover the mount, and the noise of the trumpet sounded exceeding loud, and the people that was in the camp, feared.
When morning came on the third day there was thunder and lightning, and a thick cloud covered the mountain. There was the very loud sound of a ram's horn, and everyone in the camp shook with fear.
17 And when Moses had brought them forth to meet God from the place of the camp, they stood at the bottom of the mount.
Moses led the people out from the camp to meet God. They stood at the foot of the mountain.
18 And all mount Sinai was on a smoke: because the Lord was come down upon it in fire, and the smoke arose from it as out of a furnace: and all the mount was terrible.
Smoke poured out over the whole of Mount Sinai because the Lord's presence had come down like fire. The smoke rose up like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook furiously.
19 And the sound of the trumpet grew by degrees louder and louder, and was drawn out to a greater length: Moses spoke, and God answered him.
As the sound of the ram's horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in a loud, thunderous voice.
20 And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, in the very top of the mount, and he called Moses unto the top thereof. And when he was gone up thither,
The Lord descended on the top of Mount Sinai, and he called Moses to come up there. So Moses went up,
21 He said unto him: Go down, and charge the people: lest they should have a mind to pass the limits to see the Lord, and a very great multitude of them should perish.
and the Lord told him, “Go back down, and warn the people not to force their way across the boundary to try to come to the Lord or they will die.
22 The priests also that come to the Lord, let them be sanctified, lest he strike them.
Even the priests, who come before the Lord, must prepare themselves spiritually, so that the Lord does not punish them.”
23 And Moses said to the Lord: The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou did charge, and command, saying: Set limits about the mount, and sanctify it.
But Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai. You yourself warned us, ‘Set up a boundary around the mountain, and treat it as holy.’”
24 And the Lord said to him: Go, get thee down: and thou shalt come up, thou and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people pass the limits, nor come up to the Lord, lest he kill them.
The Lord told him, “Go down and bring Aaron back up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way to come up to the Lord, or he will punish them.”
25 And Moses went down to the people and told them all.
So Moses went down and explained to the people what the Lord had said.
