Exodus 19

¹In the third month after the children of Israel had gone forth out of the land of Egypt, on that same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.

²When they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain.

³Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, "This is what you shall tell the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:

⁴'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to myself.

⁵Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine;

⁶and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."

⁷Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord commanded him.

⁸All the people answered together, and said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do." Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

⁹The Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever." Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

¹⁰The Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments,

¹¹and be ready against the third day; for on the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai.

¹²You shall set bounds to the people all around, saying, 'Be careful that you do not go up onto the mountain, or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain shall be surely put to death.

¹³No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether it is animal or man, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mountain."

¹⁴Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

¹⁵He said to the people, "Be ready by the third day. Do not have sexual relations with a woman."

¹⁶It happened on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet; and all the people who were in the camp trembled.

¹⁷Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lower part of the mountain.

¹⁸Mount Sinai, all it, smoked, because the Lord descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.

¹⁹When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice.

²⁰The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. The Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

²¹The Lord said to Moses, "Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.

²²Let the priests also, who come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth on them."

²³Moses said to the Lord, "The people can't come up to Mount Sinai, for you warned us, saying, 'Set bounds around the mountain, and sanctify it.'"

²⁴The Lord said to him, "Go down and you shall bring Aaron up with you, but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break forth on them."

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

Exodus 19

¹In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.

²For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.

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

⁴Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.

⁵Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

⁶And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

⁷And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.

⁸And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.

⁹And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord.

¹⁰And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

¹¹And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

¹²And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:

¹³There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

¹⁴And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

¹⁵And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

¹⁶And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.

¹⁷And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.

¹⁸And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

¹⁹And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

²⁰And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.

²¹And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.

²²And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them.

²³And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.

²⁴And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord, lest he break forth upon them.

²⁵So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.