Exodus 19:3-19

English Standard Version

³while ^(A)Moses went up to God. ^(B)The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ⁴^(C)‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how ^(D)I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. ⁵Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be ^(E)my treasured possession among all peoples, for ^(F)all the earth is mine; ⁶and you shall be to me a ^(G)kingdom of priests and ^(H)a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

⁷So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. ⁸^(I)All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. ⁹And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you ^(J)in a thick cloud, that ^(K)the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also ^(L)believe you forever.”

When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, ¹⁰the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and ^(M)consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them ^(N)wash their garments ¹¹and be ready for the third day. For on the third day ^(O)the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹²And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. ^(P)Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. ¹³No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot;^[a] whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When ^(Q)the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” ¹⁴So Moses ^(R)went down from the mountain to the people and ^(S)consecrated the people; ^(T)and they washed their garments. ¹⁵And he said to the people, “Be ready for the ^(U)third day; ^(V)do not go near a woman.”

¹⁶On the morning of the ^(W)third day there were ^(X)thunders and lightnings and ^(Y)a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud ^(Z)trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp ^(AA)trembled. ¹⁷Then ^(AB)Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸Now ^(AC)Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and ^(AD)the whole mountain trembled greatly. ¹⁹And as the ^(AE)sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and ^(AF)God answered him in thunder.