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.
In the third month after the people of Israel had gone out from the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the wilderness of Sinai.
After they left Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai, they camped in the wilderness in front of 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:
Moses went up to God. Yahweh called to him from the mountain and said, “You must tell the house of Jacob, the people 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 what I did to the Egyptians, how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you 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.
Now then, if you obediently listen to my voice and keep my covenant, then you will be my special possession from among all peoples, for all the 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.”
You will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation for me. These are the words that you must speak to the people 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.
So Moses came and summoned the elders of the people. He set before them all these words that Yahweh had commanded him.
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.
All the people answered together and said, “We will do everything that Yahweh has said.” Then Moses came to report the people's words to Yahweh.
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.
Yahweh said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe you forever.” Then Moses told the people's words to Yahweh.
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.
Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people. Today and tomorrow you must set them apart to me, and make 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.
Be ready for the third day, for on the third day Yahweh will come down to Mount Sinai.
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.’
You must set boundaries all around the mountain for the people. Say to them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death.'
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.”
No one's hand must touch such a person. Instead, he must certainly be stoned or shot. Whether it is a person or an animal, he must be put to death. When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may come up to the foot of 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.
Then Moses went down from the mountain to the people. He set apart the people to Yahweh and they washed their garments.
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.”
He said to the people, “Be ready on the third day; do not go near your wives.”
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].
On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunder and lightning bolts and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of a very loud trumpet. 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.
Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
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.
Mount Sinai was completely covered with smoke because Yahweh descended on it in fire and smoke. The smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently.
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.
When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in 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.
Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and he summoned Moses to the top. So 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.
Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to me to look, or many of them will perish.
22 Also, the priests who habitually come near me must purify themselves. If they do not do that, I will punish them.”
Let the priests also who come near to me set themselves apart—prepare themselves for my coming—so that I do not attack 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.’”
Moses said to Yahweh, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you commanded us: 'Set boundaries around the mountain and set it apart to Yahweh.'”
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.”
Yahweh said to him, “Go, get down the mountain, and bring up Aaron with you, but do not let the priests and the people break through the barrier to come up to me, or I will attack them.”
25 So Moses/I went down the mountain [again] and told the people [what Yahweh had said].
So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.
