< Exodus 19 >

1 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.
And in the third month of the departure of the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came into the wilderness of Sina.
2
And they departed from Raphidin, and came into the wilderness of Sina, and there Israel encamped before the mountain.
3 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:
And Moses went up to the mount of God, and God called him out of the mountain, saying, These things shall you say to the house of Jacob, and you shall report them to the children of Israel.
4 ‘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].
You have seen all that I have done to the Egyptians, and I took you up as upon eagles' wings, and I brought you near to myself.
5 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.
And now if you will indeed hear my voice, and keep my covenant, you shall be to me a peculiar people above all nations; for the whole earth is mine.
6 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.”
And you shall be to me a royal priesthood and a holy nation: these words shall you speak to the children of Israel.
7 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.
And Moses came and called the elders of the people, and he set before them all these words, which God appointed them.
8 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.
And all the people answered with one accord, and said, All things that God has spoken, we will do and listen to: and Moses reported these words to God.
9 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.
And the Lord said to Moses, Behold! I come to you in a pillar of a cloud, that the people may hear me speaking to you, and may believe you for ever: and Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.
10 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.
And the Lord said to Moses, Go down and solemnly charge the people, and sanctify them today and to-morrow, and let them wash their garments.
11 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.
And let them be ready against the third day, for on the third day the Lord will descend upon mount Sina before all the people.
12 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.’
And you shall separate the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves that you go not up into the mountain, nor touch any part of it: every one that touches the mountain shall surely die.
13 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.”
A hand shall not touch it, for [every one that touches] shall be stoned with stones or shot through with a dart, whether beast or whether man, it shall not live: when the voices and trumpets and cloud depart from off the mountain, they shall come up on the mountain.
14 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.
And Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified them, and they washed their clothes.
15 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.”
And he said to the people, Be ready: for three days come not near to a woman.
16 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].
And it came to pass on the third day, as the morning drew near, there were voices and lightnings and a dark cloud on mount Sina: the voice of the trumpet sounded loud, and all the people in the camp trembled.
17 Then Moses/I led the people outside the camp to meet with God. They stood at the base of the mountain.
And Moses led the people forth out of the camp to meet God, and they stood by under the camp.
18 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.
The mount of Sina was altogether on a smoke, because God had descended upon it in fire; and the smoke went up as the smoke of a furnace, and the people were exceedingly amazed.
19 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.
And the sounds of the trumpet were waxing very much louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice.
20 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.
And the Lord came down upon mount Sina on the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
21 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.
And God spoke to Moses, saying, Go down, and solemnly charge the people, lest at any time they draw near to God to gaze, and a multitude of them fall.
22 Also, the priests who habitually come near me must purify themselves. If they do not do that, I will punish them.”
And let the priests that draw near to the Lord God sanctify themselves, destroy some of them.
23 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.’”
And Moses said to God, The people will not be able to approach to the mount of Sina, for you have solemnly charged us, saying, Set bounds to the mountain and sanctify it.
24 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.”
And the Lord said to him, Go, descend, and come up you and Aaron with you; but let not the priests and the people force their way to come up to God, lest the Lord destroy some of them.
25 So Moses/I went down the mountain [again] and told the people [what Yahweh had said].
And Moses went down to the people, and spoke to them.

< Exodus 19 >