Exodus 19
1NOW on the first day of the third month after the departure of the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, on the very day they came to the wilderness of Sina—
2when they had removed from Raphadin and came to the wilderness of Sina and Israel were encamping there before the mount,
3Moses went up to the mount of God. And God called to him out of the mount and said, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and announce to the children of Israel—
4You have seen what I have done to the Egyptians; and how I have taken you up as on the wings of eagles and brought you to Myself.
5Now therefore if you will hearken diligently to My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be to Me a peculiar people above all the nations; for the whole earth is Mine:
6but as for you, you shall be a royal priesthood and a holy nation. These words thou shalt deliver to the children of Israel.
7Upon this Moses came and called the elders of the people and laid before them all these words which God enjoined on them.
8And all the people with one consent answered and said, All that God hath said we will do and we will be obedient. And Moses carried up these words to God.
9Then the Lord said to Moses, Behold I will come to thee in a pillar of cloud, that the people may hear Me speaking to thee and believe thee forever.—When Moses told the Lord the words of the people
10the Lord said to Moses, Go down and testify to the people and purify them to-day and to-morrow and let them wash their garments
11and be ready against the third day; for on the third day the Lord will descend upon mount Sina in the sight of all the people.
12Therefore thou shalt remove the people to some distance round about and say, Take heed to yourselves not to go up to the mount nor touch any part of it. Whoever shall touch the mount shall surely die.
13A hand shall not touch him, for he shall be stoned with stones or shot with a dart. Whether man or beast it shall not live. When the voices and the trumpets and the cloud are gone from the mount, they may go up to the mount.
14So Moses went down from the mount to the people and purified them, and they washed their garments.
15And he said to the people, Be ready, for three days you must not approach a wife.
16And it came to pass on the third day that about dawn there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on mount Sina, and the voice of the trumpet sounded loud, so that all the people in the camp were terrified.
17Then Moses led forth the people out of the camp to meet God, and they halted at the foot of the mount.
18The whole mountain Sina was enveloped with smoke, because God had descended upon it in fire. And the smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, so that all the people were exceedingly amazed.
19Still the sounds of the trumpet waxed louder and louder. Moses had spoken and God had answered him by a voice.
20And the Lord descended upon mount Sina on the summit of the mount, and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount, and Moses went up.
21And God spoke to Moses saying, Go down and testify to the people; peradventure they may come nigh to God to observe, and a multitude of them may perish.
22And let the priests who come near to the Lord God be purified, lest peradventure the Lord withdraw from them.
23And Moses said to God, The people cannot advance to mount Sina; for thou hast testified to us saying, Set apart the mount and hallow it.
24But the Lord said to him, Away; go down and come up thou and Aaron with thee; but let not the priests nor the people presume to come up to God lest peradventure the Lord destroy some of them.
25And Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.