Exodus 19:10–22

¹⁰And the Lord told Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes ⁿ¹¹and 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. ^o12Put 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 will be put to death. ^p13No hand may touch him; instead he will be stoned or shot with arrows. No animal or man will live. When the ram’s horn 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 loud trumpet sound, 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. ^qIts smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, ^rand the whole mountain shook violently. ^s19As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder. ^t

²⁰The Lord came down on Mount Sinai at the top of the mountain. Then the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and he went up. ²¹The Lord directed Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise many of them will die. ^u22Even the priests who come near the Lord must purify themselves or the Lord will break out in anger against them.” ^v