¹⁸When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet^e and saw the mountain in smoke,^f they trembled with fear.^g They stayed at a distance ¹⁹and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak^h to us or we will die.”ⁱ

²⁰Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.^j God has come to test^k you, so that the fear^l of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”^m

²¹The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darknessⁿ where God was.

Idols and Altars

²²Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:^o ²³Do not make any gods to be alongside me;^p do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.^q

²⁴“ ‘Make an altar^r of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings^s and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name^t to be honored, I will come to you and bless^u you. ²⁵If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool^v on it. ²⁶And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts^w may be exposed.’

Read in Logos

Cross references

e Ex 19:16–19; Dt 4:36; Isa 58:1; Jer 6:17; Eze 33:3; Heb 12:18–19; Rev 1:10
fSee Ex 19:18
gSee Ge 3:10; See Ex 14:31; See 19:16
h Job 37:4, 5; 40:9; Ps 29:3–4
i Dt 5:5, 23–27; 18:16; Gal 3:19
jSee Ge 15:1
kSee Ge 22:1
l Dt 4:10; 6:2, 24; 10:12; Ps 111:10; 128:1; Pr 1:7; Ecc 12:13; Isa 8:13
m Job 1:8; 2:3; 28:28; Pr 3:7; 8:13; 14:16; 16:6
nSee Ex 19:9; Dt 5:22; Ps 18:9; 68:4; 97:2; Isa 19:1
o Dt 5:24, 26; Ne 9:13
pSee ver 3
q Ex 22:20; 32:4, 8, 31; 34:17; Dt 29:17–18; Ne 9:18
r Ex 27:1; 40:29; Nu 16:38; Dt 27:5; Jos 8:30; 2 Ki 16:14; 2 Ch 4:1; Ezr 3:2; Eze 43:13
sSee Ge 8:20; See Ex 18:12
t Dt 12:5; 16:6, 11; 26:2; 1 Ki 9:3; 2 Ki 21:4, 7; 2 Ch 6:6; 12:13; Ezr 6:12
uSee Ge 12:2; 22:17
v Jos 8:31; 1 Ki 6:7
w Eze 43:17