Exodus 19

CHAPTER 19

Israel at Sinai

^1aIn the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on this day they came into the wilderness of ^bSinai.

²Then they set out from ^aRephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of ^bthe mountain.

³Now Moses went up to God, and ^aYahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel:

⁴‘^aYou yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I lifted you up on ^beagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.

⁵‘So now then, ^aif you will indeed listen to My voice and ^bkeep My covenant, then you shall be ^cMy treasured possession among all the peoples, for ^dall the earth is Mine;

⁶and you shall be to Me ^aa kingdom of priests and ^ba holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

^7aSo Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words which Yahweh had commanded him.

^8aAnd all the people answered together and said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to Yahweh.

⁹Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in ^aa thick cloud, so that the ^bpeople may hear when I speak with you and may also believe in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh.

¹⁰Yahweh also said to Moses, “Go to the people and ^aset them apart as holy today and tomorrow, and let them ^bwash their garments;

¹¹and let them be ready for the third day, for on ^athe third day Yahweh will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

¹²“And you shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘¹Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; ^awhoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.

¹³‘No hand shall touch him, but ^ahe shall surely be stoned or surely ¹shot through; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to ^bthe mountain.”

¹⁴So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and set the people apart as holy, and they washed their garments.

¹⁵And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

^16aSo it happened on the third day, when it was morning, that there were ¹thunder and lightning flashes and a ²thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

¹⁷And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the ¹foot of the mountain.

Yahweh Descends on Mount Sinai

^18aNow Mount Sinai was all in smoke because Yahweh descended upon it ^bin fire; and its smoke ascended like ^cthe smoke of a furnace, and ^dthe whole mountain trembled violently.

¹⁹And the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder; then Moses spoke and ^aGod answered him with ¹thunder.

^20aAnd Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

²¹Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go down, ¹warn the people, lest ^athey break through to Yahweh to see, and many of them ²perish.

²²“Also let the ^apriests who come near to Yahweh set themselves apart as holy, lest Yahweh break out against them.”

²³And Moses said to Yahweh, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You ¹warned us, saying, ‘^aSet bounds about the mountain, and set it apart as holy.’”

²⁴Then Yahweh said to him, “¹Go down and come up again, ^ayou and Aaron with you; but do not let the ^bpriests and the people break through to come up to Yahweh, lest He break out against them.”

²⁵So Moses went down to the people and told them.