Exodus 19:16–25

¹⁶On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled.^{* 17}Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God. They took their stand at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸Now all of Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord had descended upon it in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently.^{* 19}As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder.^{* 20}When the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. ²¹Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise many of them will perish.^{* 22}Even the priests who approach the Lord must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.”^{* 23}Moses said to the Lord, “The people are not permitted to come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and keep it holy.’ ”^{* 24}The Lord said to him, “Go down, then come back up and bring Aaron with you, but do not let either the priests or the people break through to come up to the Lord; otherwise he will break out against them.” ²⁵So Moses went down to the people and told them.