Exodus

19 In the third month, by the coming forth of the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt, on this day came they into the desert of Sinai:

2 then was it that they brake up out of Rephidim, and came into the desert of Sinai, and encamped in the desert,—yea Israel encamped there before the mountain.

3 And when Moses had gone up unto God, then called Yahweh unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, And tell the sons of Israel:

4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians,—And how I bare you upon wings of eagles, And brought you in unto myself:—

5 Now, therefore, if ye will indeed hearken to my voice, And keep my covenant, Then shall ye be mine as a treasure beyond all the peoples, For mine is all the earth;

6 But ye shall be mine, As a kingdom of priests, And a holy nation. These are the words, which thou shalt speak unto the sons of Israel.

7 Then came Moses, and called for the elders of the people,—and put before them all these words which Yahweh had commanded him.

8 And all the people responded together and said, All that Yahweh hath spoken will we do. And Moses took back the words of the people unto Yahweh.

9 Then said Yahweh unto Moses: Lo! I am coming unto thee in the veiling of cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with thee, moreover also that in thee they may trust to times age-abiding. Then told Moses the words of the people unto Yahweh.

10 And Yahweh said unto Moses—Go unto the people, and thou shalt hallow them to-day and to-morrow,—and they shall wash their clothes;

11 and shall be ready by the third day,—for on the third day will Yahweh come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai.

12 So then thou shalt set bounds for the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves—that ye go not up into the mountain, nor touch the boundary thereof,—whosoever toucheth the mountain shall surely die.

13 No hand shall touch it, but he shall be surely stoned or be surely shot, whether beast or man he shall not live,—When the ram’s horn soundeth, they themselves shall come up within the mount.

14 Then Moses went down out of the mount unto the people,—and hallowed the people, and they washed their clothes.

15 And he said unto the people, Be ready by the third day,—do not approach a woman.

16 And it came to pass, on the third day, when the morning had come, that there were thunderings and lightnings and a heavy cloud upon the mount, and the sound of a horn loud exceedingly,—and all the people who were in the camp trembled.

17 And Moses brought forth the people, to meet God out of the camp,—and they stationed themselves in the lower part of the mount.

18 And Mount Sinai smoked all over, because Yahweh had come down thereon in fire,—and the smoke thereof went up as the smoke of a furnace, and all the mountain trembled exceedingly.

19 And, as oft as the sound of the horn went on and became exceeding loud, Moses spake and God responded to him with a voice.

20 Thus came Yahweh down upon Mount Sinai unto the top of the mount,—and Yahweh called Moses unto the top of the mount, and Moses went up.

21 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Go down, adjure the people,—lest they press through unto Yahweh to see, and so there fall from among them a multitude.

22 Yea, even the priests who do approach unto Yahweh must hallow themselves,—lest Yahweh break in upon them.

23 And Moses said unto Yahweh, The people cannot come up into Mount Sinai,—for thou thyself hast adjured us, saying: Set bounds to the mountain and hallow it.

24 And Yahweh said unto him—Away, down! then shalt thou come up, thou and Aaron with thee,—but, as for the priests and the people, let it not be that they press through to come up unto Yahweh, lest he break in upon them.

25 So Moses went down unto the people,—and said [these things] unto them.