Exodus 19:1–19

ISRAEL AT SINAI

19In the third month from the very day the Israelites left the land of Egypt, they came to the Sinai Wilderness. ²They traveled from Rephidim, came to the Sinai Wilderness, and camped in the wilderness. Israel camped there in front of the mountain.^h

³Moses went up the mountain to God, and the Lord calledⁱ to him from the mountain: “This is what you must say to the house of Jacob and explain to the Israelites: ⁴‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.^{j 5}Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant,^k you will be my own possession^l out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine, ⁶and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’^m These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”

⁷After Moses came back, he summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. ⁸Then all the people responded together, “We will do all that the Lord has spoken.”ⁿ So Moses brought the people’s words back to the Lord.

⁹The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud,^o so that the people will hear when I speak^p with you and will always believe you.” Moses reported the people’s words to the Lord, ¹⁰and the Lord told Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes^{q 11}and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.^{r 12}Put boundaries for the people all around the mountain and say: Be careful that you don’t go up on the mountain or touch its base. Anyone who touches the mountain must be put to death.^{s 13}No hand may touch him;^A instead he will be stoned or shot with arrows and not live, whether animal or human. When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may go up the mountain.”

¹⁴Then Moses came down from the mountain to the people and consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵He said to the people, “Be prepared by the third day. Do not have sexual relations with women.”

¹⁶On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud blast from a trumpet, so that all the people in the camp shuddered. ¹⁷Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord came down on it in fire.^t Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace,^u and the whole mountain shook violently.^{v 19}As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.^w