Exodus 19-20

New International Version

At Mount Sinai

19 On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt^(A)—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai.^(B) ²After they set out from Rephidim,^(C) they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.^(D)

³Then Moses went up to God,^(E) and the Lord called^(F) to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ⁴‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt,^(G) and how I carried you on eagles’ wings^(H) and brought you to myself.^(I) ⁵Now if you obey me fully^(J) and keep my covenant,^(K) then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.^(L) Although the whole earth^(M) is mine, ⁶you^[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests^(N) and a holy nation.’^(O) These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

⁷So Moses went back and summoned the elders^(P) of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak.^(Q) ⁸The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.”^(R) So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

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

¹⁰And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate^(V) them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes^(W) ¹¹and be ready by the third day,^(X) because on that day the Lord will come down^(Y) on Mount Sinai^(Z) in the sight of all the people. ¹²Put limits^(AA) for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. ¹³They are to be stoned^(AB) or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn^(AC) sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”^(AD)

¹⁴After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.^(AE) ¹⁵Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain^(AF) from sexual relations.”

¹⁶On the morning of the third day there was thunder^(AG) and lightning, with a thick cloud^(AH) over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.^(AI) Everyone in the camp trembled.^(AJ) ¹⁷Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.^(AK) ¹⁸Mount Sinai was covered with smoke,^(AL) because the Lord descended on it in fire.^(AM) The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,^(AN) and the whole mountain^[b] trembled^(AO) violently. ¹⁹As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice^(AP) of God answered^(AQ) him.^[c]

²⁰The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai^(AR) and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up ²¹and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see^(AS) the Lord and many of them perish.^(AT) ²²Even the priests, who approach^(AU) the Lord, must consecrate^(AV) themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.”^(AW)

²³Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai,^(AX) because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits^(AY) around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’”

²⁴The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron^(AZ) up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out against them.”^(BA)

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

The Ten Commandments^(BB)

20 And God spoke^(BC) all these words:^(BD)

²“I am the Lord your God,^(BE) who brought you out^(BF) of Egypt,^(BG) out of the land of slavery.^(BH)

³“You shall have no other gods before^[d] me.^(BI)

⁴“You shall not make for yourself an image^(BJ) in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵You shall not bow down to them or worship^(BK) them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,^(BL) punishing the children for the sin of the parents^(BM) to the third and fourth generation^(BN) of those who hate me, ⁶but showing love to a thousand^(BO) generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

⁷“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.^(BP)

⁸“Remember the Sabbath^(BQ) day by keeping it holy. ⁹Six days you shall labor and do all your work,^(BR) ¹⁰but the seventh day is a sabbath^(BS) to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. ¹¹For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,^(BT) the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested^(BU) on the seventh day.^(BV) Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹²“Honor your father and your mother,^(BW) so that you may live long^(BX) in the land^(BY) the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³“You shall not murder.^(BZ)

¹⁴“You shall not commit adultery.^(CA)

¹⁵“You shall not steal.^(CB)

¹⁶“You shall not give false testimony^(CC) against your neighbor.^(CD)

¹⁷“You shall not covet^(CE) your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

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

²⁰Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.^(CK) God has come to test^(CL) you, so that the fear^(CM) of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”^(CN)

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

Idols and Altars

²²Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:^(CP) ²³Do not make any gods to be alongside me;^(CQ) do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.^(CR)

²⁴“‘Make an altar^(CS) of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings^(CT) and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name^(CU) to be honored, I will come to you and bless^(CV) you. ²⁵If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool^(CW) on it. ²⁶And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts^(CX) may be exposed.’

Footnotes

Exodus 19:6 Or possession, for the whole earth is mine. ⁶You
Exodus 19:18 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint and all the people
Exodus 19:19 Or and God answered him with thunder
Exodus 20:3 Or besides

Psalm 42

New International Version

BOOK II

Psalms 42–72

Psalm 42^[a]^[b]

For the director of music. A maskil^[c] of the Sons of Korah.

¹As the deer^(A) pants for streams of water,^(B)
    so my soul pants^(C) for you, my God.
²My soul thirsts^(D) for God, for the living God.^(E)
    When can I go^(F) and meet with God?
³My tears^(G) have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”^(H)
⁴These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:^(I)
how I used to go to the house of God^(J)
    under the protection of the Mighty One^[d]
with shouts of joy^(K) and praise^(L)
    among the festive throng.^(M)

⁵Why, my soul, are you downcast?^(N)
    Why so disturbed^(O) within me?
Put your hope in God,^(P)
    for I will yet praise^(Q) him,
    my Savior^(R) and my God.^(S)

⁶My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember^(T) you
from the land of the Jordan,^(U)
    the heights of Hermon^(V)—from Mount Mizar.
⁷Deep calls to deep^(W)
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.^(X)

⁸By day the Lord directs his love,^(Y)
at night^(Z) his song^(AA) is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.^(AB)

⁹I say to God my Rock,^(AC)
    “Why have you forgotten^(AD) me?
Why must I go about mourning,^(AE)
    oppressed^(AF) by the enemy?”^(AG)
¹⁰My bones suffer mortal agony^(AH)
    as my foes taunt^(AI) me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”^(AJ)

¹¹Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.^(AK)

Footnotes

Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
Psalm 42:1 In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.