Exodus 19

Revised Geneva Translation

19 In the third month following the children of Israel’s going out of the land of Egypt, on that same day, they came into the wilderness of Sinai.

² For they departed from Rephidim and came to the desert of Sinai and camped in the wilderness. It was there Israel camped before the Mount.

³ But Moses went up to God. For the LORD had called from out of the Mount to him, saying, “Thus shall you say to the House of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel,

⁴ ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. And I carried you upon eagle’s wings and have brought you to Me.

⁵ ‘Now, therefore, if you will indeed hear My voice, and keep My Covenant, then you shall be My chief treasure above all people (though all the Earth is Mine).

⁶ ‘You shall also be to Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

⁷ Then, Moses came and called for the elders of the people. And to them he proposed all these things which the LORD commanded him.

⁸ And the people all answered together, and said, “All that the LORD has commanded, we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.

⁹ And the LORD said to Moses, “Lo, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear while I talk with you, and so that they may also believe you forever.” For Moses had told the words of the people to the LORD.

¹⁰ Moreover, the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and sanctify them, today and tomorrow; and let them wash their clothes.

¹¹ “And let them be ready on the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down, in the sight of all the people, upon Mount Sinai.

¹² “And you shall set boundaries all around the people, saying, ‘Be careful that you do not go up to the mount, nor touch the border of it. Whoever touches the mount shall surely die.’

¹³ “No hand shall touch it, or he shall be stoned to death or struck through with arrows. Whether beast or man, he shall not live. When the horn blows long, they shall come up onto the mountain.”

¹⁴ Then Moses went down from the mount to the people and sanctified the people. And they washed their clothes.

¹⁵ And he said to the people, “Be ready on the third day. And do not come near your wives.”

¹⁶ And the third day, when it was morning, there was thunder and lightning and a thick cloud upon the mount and the sound of the trumpet, exceedingly loud, so that all the people who were in the camp were afraid.

¹⁷ Then Moses brought the people out of the tents to meet with God. And they stood at the foot of the mount.

¹⁸ And Mount Sinai was engulfed in smoke, because the LORD came down upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended, as the smoke of a furnace, and all the mount trembled exceedingly.

¹⁹ And when the sound of the trumpet blew long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spoke. And God answered him by voice.

²⁰ For the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mount. And when the LORD called Moses up onto the top of the mount, Moses went up.

²¹ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down and remind the people not to break their boundaries and go up to the LORD to gaze, lest many of them perish.

²² “Also, let the priests who come to the LORD be sanctified, lest the LORD destroy them.”

²³ And Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up onto Mount Sinai. For You have charged us, saying, ‘Set boundaries on the mountain, and sanctify it.’”

²⁴ And the LORD said to him, “Go. Get down and come up. You and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break their boundaries to come up to the LORD, lest He destroy them.”

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