Israel Camps at Sinai

19 Exactly three months after the Israelites had left Egypt, ·they [^Lthe sons/^Tchildren of Israel] ·reached [came to] the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Sinai. ² When they left Rephidim, they came to the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Sinai and camped in the ·desert [wilderness] in front of the mountain. ³ Then Moses went up on the mountain to God. The Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “Say this to the ·family [^Lhouse] of Jacob, and tell the ·people [sons; children] of Israel: ⁴ ‘Every one of you has seen what I did to the people of Egypt. You saw how I carried you out of Egypt, as if on eagle’s wings [^CGod protected and guided them; Deut. 32:11]. And I brought you here to me. ⁵ So now if you ·obey me [^Llisten to my voice] and keep my ·agreement [covenant; treaty], you will be my own possession [special treasure], chosen from all nations. Even though the whole earth is mine, ⁶ you will be my kingdom of priests and a holy nation [^Cset apart to serve God and bring others to him; Gen. 12:1–3].’ You must tell the ·Israelites [^Lthe sons/^Tchildren of Israel] these words.”

⁷ So Moses went down and called the elders of the people together. He told them all the words the Lord had commanded him to say. ⁸ All the people answered together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” Then Moses took ·their answer [^Lthe words of the people] back to the Lord.

⁹ And the Lord said to Moses, “I will come to you in a ·thick [dense] cloud and speak to you. The people will hear me speaking with you and will always trust you.” Then Moses told the Lord ·what the people had said [^Lthe words of the people].

¹⁰ The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and have them ·spend today and tomorrow preparing themselves [consecrate/sanctify themselves today and tomorrow]. They must wash their clothes ¹¹ and be ready by the ·day after tomorrow [^Lthird day]. On that day I, the Lord, will come down on Mount Sinai, and all the people will see me. ¹² But you must set a ·limit around the mountain that the people are not to cross [^Lboundary around the people]. ·Tell [Warn] them not to go up on the mountain and not to touch the ·foot [edge] of it. Anyone who touches the mountain must be put to death ¹³ with stones or shot with arrows. No one is allowed to touch him [^Ctouching a dead body rendered a person ritually unclean; Num. 5:2]. Whether it is a person or an animal, he will not live. But the ·trumpet [ram’s horn] will make a long blast, and only then may the people go up on the mountain.”

¹⁴ After Moses went down from the mountain to the people, he made them ·prepare themselves for service to God [consecrate/sanctify themselves], and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ Then Moses said to the people, “Be ready in three days. Do not ·have sexual relations during this time [^Ltouch a woman; ^Can emission of semen rendered a man ritually unclean; Lev. 15:16–18].”

¹⁶ On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning with a thick cloud on the mountain. There was a very loud blast from a ·trumpet [ram’s horn], ·and [or so that] all the people in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ Then Moses ·led [brought] the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord came down on it in fire. The smoke rose from the mountain like smoke from a ·furnace [kiln], and the whole mountain ·shook wildly [trembled]. ¹⁹ The ·sound [blast] from the ·trumpet [ram’s horn] became louder. Then Moses spoke, and ·the voice of [or in thunder] God answered him.

²⁰ When the Lord came down on top of Mount Sinai, he ·called [invited] Moses to come up to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. ²¹ The Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people that they must not ·force their way [break] through to see me. If they do, many of them will ·die [^Lfall]. ²² Even the priests, who may ·come near [approach] me, must first ·prepare [consecrate; sanctify] themselves. If they don’t, I, the Lord, will ·punish [^Lbreak out against] them.”

²³ Moses told the Lord, “The people cannot come up on Mount Sinai, because you yourself ·told [warned] us, ‘Set a ·limit [boundary] around the mountain, and ·set it apart as holy [consecrate/sanctify it].’”

²⁴ The Lord said to him, “Go down and bring Aaron up with you, but don’t allow the priests or the people to ·force their way [break] through. They must not come up to the Lord, or I will ·punish [^Lbreak out against] them.”

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