Exodus 19

¹In the third month of the departure of Israel from the land of Egypt, in that day, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai.

²Thus, setting out from Raphidim, and going directly to the desert of Sinai, they encamped in the same place, and there Israel pitched their tents away from the region of the mountain.

³Then Moses ascended to God. And the Lord called to him from the mountain, and he said: “This you shall say to the house of Jacob, and announce to the sons of Israel:

⁴‘You have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, in what way I carried you upon the wings of eagles and how I have taken you for myself.

⁵If, therefore, you will hear my voice, and you will keep my covenant, you will be to me a particular possession out of all people. For all the earth is mine.

⁶And you will be to me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you will speak to the sons of Israel.”

⁷Moses went, and calling together those greater by birth among the people, he set forth all the words which the Lord had commanded.

⁸And all the people responded together: “Everything that the Lord has spoken, we shall do.” And when Moses had related the words of the people to the Lord,

⁹the Lord said to him: “Soon now, I will come to you in the mist of a cloud, so that the people may hear me speaking to you, and so that they may believe you continuously.” Therefore, Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord,

¹⁰who said to him: “Go to the people, and sanctify them today, and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments.

¹¹And let them be prepared on the third day. For on the third day, the Lord will descend, in the sight of all the people, over Mount Sinai.

¹²And you will establish limits for the people all around, and you will say to them: ‘Take care not to ascend to the mountain, and that you do not touch its parts. All who touch the mountain, shall die a death.’

¹³Hands shall not touch him, but he shall be crushed with stones, or he shall be pierced through with darts. Whether it be a beast or a man, he shall not live. For when the trumpet begins to sound, perhaps they might go up toward the mountain.”

¹⁴And Moses came down from the mountain to the people, and he sanctified them. And when they had washed their garments,

¹⁵he said to them, “Be prepared on the third day, and do not draw near to your wives.”

¹⁶And now, the third day arrived and the morning dawned. And behold, thunders began to be heard, and also lightning flashed, and a very dense cloud covered the mountain, and the noise of the trumpet resounded vehemently. And the people who were in the camp were fearful.

¹⁷And when Moses had led them out to meet God, from the place of the camp, they stood at the base of the mountain.

¹⁸Then all of Mount Sinai was smoking. For the Lord had descended over it with fire, and smoke ascended from it, as from a furnace. And the entire mountain was terrible.

¹⁹And the sound of the trumpet gradually increased to be louder, and extended to be longer. Moses was speaking, and God was answering him.

²⁰And the Lord descended over Mount Sinai, to the very top of the mountain, and he called Moses to its summit. And when he had ascended there,

²¹he said to him: “Descend, and call the people to witness, lest they might be willing to transgress the limits, so as to see the Lord, and a very great multitude of them might perish.

²²Likewise, the priests who approach toward the Lord, let them be sanctified, lest he strike them down.”

²³And Moses said to the Lord: “The people are not able to ascend to Mount Sinai. For you testified, and you commanded, saying: ‘Set limits around the mountain, and sanctify it.’ ”

²⁴And the Lord said to him, “Go, descend. And you shall ascend, and Aaron with you. But let not the priests or the people transgress the limits, nor ascend to the Lord, lest perhaps he may put them to death.”

²⁵And Moses descended to the people, and he explained everything to them.

Exodus 19

¹In the third month of the departure of Israel out of the land of Egypt, on this day they came into the wilderness of Sinai:

²For departing out of Raphidim, and coming to the desert of Sinai, they camped in the same place, and there Israel pitched their tents over against the mountain.

³And Moses went up to God; and the Lord called unto him from the mountain, and said: Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:

⁴You have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, how I have carried you upon the wings of eagles, and have taken you to myself.

⁵If therefore you will hear my voice, and keep my covenant, you shall be my peculiar possession above all people: for all the earth is mine.

⁶And you shall be to me a priestly kingdom, and a holy nation. These are the words thou shalt speak to the children of Israel.

⁷Moses came; and calling together the elders of the people, he declared all the words which the Lord had commanded.

⁸And all the people answered together: All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do. And when Moses had related the people's words to the Lord,

⁹The Lord said to him: Lo, now will I come to thee in the darkness of a cloud, that the people may hear me speaking to thee, and may believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

¹⁰And he said to him: Go to the people, and sanctify them to day, and to morrow, and let them wash their garments.

¹¹And let them be ready against the third day; for on the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people, upon Mount Sinai.

¹²And thou shalt appoint certain limits to the people round about, and thou shalt say to them: Take heed ye go not up into the mount, and that ye touch not the borders thereof: every one that toucheth the mount, dying he shall die.

¹³No hands shall touch him, but he shall be stoned to death, or he shall be shot through with arrows: whether it be beast, or man, he shall not live. When the trumpet shall begin to sound, then let them go up into the mount.

¹⁴And Moses came down from the mount to the people, and sanctified them. And when they had washed their garments,

¹⁵He said to them: Be ready against the third day, and come not near your wives.

¹⁶And now the third day was come, and the morning appeared: and behold thunders began to be heard, and lightning to flash, and a very thick cloud to cover the mount, and the noise of the trumpet sounded exceeding loud; and the people that was in the camp, feared.

¹⁷And when Moses had brought them forth to meet God, from the place of the camp, they stood at the bottom of the mount.

¹⁸And all Mount Sinai was on a smoke: because the Lord was come down upon it in fire, and the smoke arose from it as out of a furnace: and all the mount was terrible.

¹⁹And the sound of the trumpet grew by degrees louder and louder, and was drawn out to a greater length: Moses spoke, and God answered him.

²⁰And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, in the very top of the mount, and he called Moses unto the top thereof. And when he was gone up thither,

²¹He said unto him: Go down, and charge the people; lest they should have a mind to pass the limits to see the Lord, and a very great multitude of them should perish.

²²The priests also that come to the Lord, let them be sanctified, lest he strike them.

²³And Moses said to the Lord: The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai: for thou didst charge, and command, saying: Set limits about the mount, and sanctify it.

²⁴And the Lord said to him: Go, get thee down; and thou shalt come up, thou and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people pass the limits, nor come up to the Lord, lest he kill them.

²⁵And Moses went down to the people and told them all.