Exodus 19
1 Two months to the day after they left Egypt, the Israelites arrived at the Sinai desert.
In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
2 They had set out from Rephidim, and after they entered the Sinai desert they camped there in front of the mountain.
For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
3 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:
And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
4 ‘You saw for yourselves what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles' wings, how I brought you to myself.
All of you have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
5 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,
Now therefore, if all of you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then all of you shall be an exclusive treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 for me you will be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.’ This is what you are to tell the Israelites.”
And all of you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak unto the children of Israel.
7 So Moses went back down and summoned the elders of the people, and presented to them everything the Lord had ordered him to say.
And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.
8 Everyone answered, “We promise to do everything the Lord says.” Then Moses took the people's answer back to the Lord.
And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD has spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.
9 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.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.
10 The Lord told Moses, “Go back down and prepare them spiritually today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes,
11 and be ready on the third day because that is when the Lord will descend upon Mount Sinai in the full view of everyone.
And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
12 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.
And you shall set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that all of you go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever touches the mount shall be surely put to death:
13 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.”
There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mount.
14 Moses went down the mountain and prepared the people spiritually and they washed their clothes.
And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
15 He instructed the people, “Get ready for the third day, and don't be intimate with a woman.”
And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
16 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.
And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
17 Moses led the people out from the camp to meet God. They stood at the foot of the mountain.
And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
18 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.
And mount Sinai was altogether smoking, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
19 As the sound of the ram's horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in a loud, thunderous voice.
And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice.
20 The Lord descended on the top of Mount Sinai, and he called Moses to come up there. So Moses went up,
And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
21 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.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
22 Even the priests, who come before the Lord, must prepare themselves spiritually, so that the Lord does not punish them.”
And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.
23 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.’”
And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for you charged us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
24 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.”
And the LORD said unto him, Away, get you down, and you shall come up, you, and Aaron with you: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.
25 So Moses went down and explained to the people what the Lord had said.
So Moses went down unto the people, and spoke unto them.
