⁴ The Lord spoke^(A) to you face to face^(B) out of the fire^(C) on the mountain.

¹⁸ Mount Sinai was covered with smoke,^(A) because the Lord descended on it in fire.^(B) The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,^(C) and the whole mountain^[a] trembled^(D) violently. ¹⁹ As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice^(E) of God answered^(F) him.^[b]

¹⁰ Since then, no prophet^(A) has risen in Israel like Moses,^(B) whom the Lord knew face to face,^(C)

³⁶ From heaven he made you hear his voice^(A) to discipline^(B) you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire.

³³ Has any other people heard the voice of God^[a] speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived?^(A)

⁹ The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud,^(A) so that the people will hear me speaking^(B) with you and will always put their trust^(C) in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.

²⁴ And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us^(A) his glory and his majesty,^(B) and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them.^{(C) 25} But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.^{(D) 26} For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?^(E)

¹¹ The Lord would speak to Moses face to face,^(A) as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua^(B) son of Nun did not leave the tent.

¹⁸ When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet^(A) and saw the mountain in smoke,^(B) they trembled with fear.^(C) They stayed at a distance ¹⁹ and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak^(D) to us or we will die.”^(E)

²⁰ Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.^(F) God has come to test^(G) you, so that the fear^(H) of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”^(I)

²¹ The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness^(J) where God was.

Idols and Altars

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:^(K)