Exodus 19
1 In the third month, by the coming forth of the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt, on this day, came they into the desert of Sinai:
Two months to the day after they left Egypt, the Israelites arrived at the Sinai desert.
2 then was it that they brake up out of Rephidim and came into the desert of Sinai, and encamped in the desert, —yea Israel encamped there before 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 when Moses, had gone up unto God, then called Yahweh unto him out of the mountain saying, Thus, shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, And tell the sons 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 Ye, have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, —And how I bare you upon wings of eagles, And brought you in unto 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 Now, therefore, if ye will, indeed hearken, to my voice, And keep my covenant, Then shall ye be mine as a treasure beyond all the peoples, For, mine, is all the earth;
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 But, ye, shall be mine, As a kingdom of priests, And a holy nation. These, are the words, which thou shalt speak unto the sons of Israel.
for me you will be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.’ This is what you are to tell the Israelites.”
7 Then came Moses, and called for the elders of the people, —and put before them all these words which Yahweh had commanded him.
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 responded together and said, All that Yahweh hath spoken, will we do. And Moses took back the words of the people, unto Yahweh.
Everyone answered, “We promise to do everything the Lord says.” Then Moses took the people's answer back to the Lord.
9 Then said Yahweh unto Moses: Lo! I, am coming unto thee in the veiling of cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with thee, moreover also, that, in thee, they may trust to times age-abiding. Then told Moses the words of the people unto Yahweh.
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 Yahweh said unto Moses—Go unto the people, and thou shalt hallow them to-day, and to-morrow, —and they shall wash their clothes;
The Lord told Moses, “Go back down and prepare them spiritually today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes
11 and shall be ready, by the third day, —for on the third day, will Yahweh 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 So then thou shalt set bounds for the people round about saying, Take heed to yourselves—that ye go not up into the mountain, nor touch the boundary thereof, whosoever toucheth the mountain, shall, surely 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 hand shall touch it but he shall be, surely stoned, or be, surely shot, whether beast or man, he shall not live, —When the ram’s horn soundeth, they themselves, shall come up within 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 Then Moses went down out of the mount, unto the people, —and hallowed the people, and they washed their clothes.
Moses went down the mountain and prepared the people spiritually and they washed their clothes.
15 And he said unto the people, Be ready, by the third day, —do not approach a woman.
He instructed the people, “Get ready for the third day, and don't be intimate with a woman.”
16 And it came to pass on the third day, when the morning had come, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a heavy cloud upon the mount, and the sound of a horn, loud exceedingly, —and all the people who were in the camp trembled.
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 Moses brought forth the people, to meet God out of the camp, —and they stationed themselves in the lower part of the mount,
Moses led the people out from the camp to meet God. They stood at the foot of the mountain.
18 And Mount Sinai, smoked, all over, because Yahweh had come down thereon in fire, —and the smoke thereof went up as the smoke of a furnace, and all the mountain trembled exceedingly.
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 as oft as the sound of the horn went on and became exceeding loud, Moses, spake and, God, responded to him with a voice.
As the sound of the ram's horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in a loud, thunderous voice.
20 Thus came Yahweh down upon Mount Sinai unto the top of the mount, —and Yahweh called Moses unto the top of the mount, and Moses went up.
The Lord descended on the top of Mount Sinai, and he called Moses to come up there. So Moses went up,
21 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Go down, adjure the people, —lest they press through unto Yahweh to see, and so there fall from among them a multitude.
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 Yea, even the priests who do approach unto Yahweh, must hallow themselves, —lest Yahweh break in upon 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 unto Yahweh, The people cannot come up into Mount Sinai, —for, thou thyself, hast adjured us saying: Set bounds to the mountain and hallow 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 Yahweh said unto him—Away, down, then shalt thou come up, thou and Aaron with thee, —but as for the priests and the people, let it not be that they press through to come up unto Yahweh lest he break in upon 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 So Moses went down unto the people, —and said [these things] unto them.
So Moses went down and explained to the people what the Lord had said.
