Exodus 19:16–25

¹⁶On the morning of the third day there was thunder^g and lightning, with a thick cloud^h over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.ⁱ Everyone in the camp trembled.^{j 17}Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.^{k 18}Mount Sinai was covered with smoke,^l because the Lord descended on it in fire.^m The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,ⁿ and the whole mountain^b trembled^o violently. ¹⁹As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice^p of God answered^q him.^c

²⁰The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai^r and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up ²¹and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see^s the Lord and many of them perish.^{t 22}Even the priests, who approach^u the Lord, must consecrate^v themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.”^w

²³Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai,^x because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits^y around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’ ”

²⁴The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron^z up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out against them.”^a

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