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:
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 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.
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/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 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 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 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;
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 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.
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 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/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 and said, All that Yahweh hath spoken, will we do. And Moses took back the words of the people, unto Yahweh.
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 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.
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 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;
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 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.
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 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.
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 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,
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 Then Moses went down out of the mount, unto the people, —and hallowed the people, and they washed their clothes.
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 And he said unto the people, Be ready, by the third day, —do not approach a woman.
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 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.
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 Moses brought forth the people, to meet God out of the camp, —and they stationed themselves in the lower part of the mount,
Then Moses/I led the people outside the camp to meet with God. They stood at the base 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.
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 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 trumpet continued to become louder, Moses/I spoke [to Yahweh], and Yahweh answered [him/me] in [a loud voice that sounded like] thunder.
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.
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 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.
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 Yea, even the priests who do approach unto Yahweh, must hallow themselves, —lest Yahweh break in upon them.
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 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.
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 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.
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 So Moses went down unto the people, —and said [these things] unto them.
So Moses/I went down the mountain [again] and told the people [what Yahweh had said].
