Exodus 19-20

New American Standard Bible

Moses on Sinai

19 ^(A)In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, ^[a]on that very day they came into the wilderness of ^(B)Sinai. ² When they set out from ^(C)Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of ^(D)the mountain. ³ And Moses went up to God, and ^(E)the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: ⁴ ‘^(F)You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on ^(G)eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. ⁵ Now then, ^(H)if you will indeed obey My voice and ^(I)keep My covenant, then you shall be ^(J)My ^[b]own possession among all the peoples, for ^(K)all the earth is Mine; ⁶ and you shall be to Me ^(L)a kingdom of priests and ^(M)a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

^7 (N)So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. ⁸ Then ^(O)all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. ⁹ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in ^(P)a thick cloud, so that the ^(Q)people may hear when I speak with you and may also trust in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

¹⁰ The Lord also said to Moses, “Go to the people and ^(R)consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them ^(S)wash their garments; ¹¹ and have them ready for the third day, for on ^(T)the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹² But you shall set boundaries for the people all around, saying, ‘^[c]Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; ^(U)whoever touches the mountain shall certainly be put to death. ¹³ No hand shall touch him, but ^(V)he shall certainly be stoned or ^[d]shot through; whether animal or person, the violator shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to ^(W)the mountain.” ¹⁴ So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people, and they washed their garments. ¹⁵ He also said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

^16 (X)So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were ^[e]thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud over the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the ^[f]foot of the mountain.

The Lord Visits Sinai

^18 (Y)Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it ^(Z)in fire; and its smoke ascended like ^(AA)the smoke of a furnace, and ^(AB)the entire mountain ^[g]quaked violently. ¹⁹ When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and ^(AC)God answered him with ^[h]thunder. ²⁰ Then ^(AD)the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. ²¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “Go down, ^[i]warn the people, so that ^(AE)they do not break through to the Lord to stare, and many of them ^[j]perish. ²² Also have the ^(AF)priests who approach the Lord consecrate themselves, or else the Lord will break out against them.” ²³ And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You ^[k]warned us, saying, ‘^(AG)Set boundaries around the mountain and consecrate it.’” ²⁴ Then the Lord said to him, “^[l]Go down and come up again, ^(AH)you and Aaron with you; but do not let the ^(AI)priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, or He will break out against them.” ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

The Ten Commandments

20 Then God spoke all these words, saying,

² “^(AJ)I am the Lord your God, ^(AK)who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of ^[m]slavery.

³ “^(AL)You shall have no other ^(AM)gods ^[n]before Me.

⁴ “^(AN)You shall not make for yourself ^[o]an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. ^5 (AO)You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a ^(AP)jealous God, ^(AQ)inflicting the ^[p]punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, ⁶ but showing ^[q]favor to ^(AR)thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

⁷ “^(AS)You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not ^[r]leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

⁸ “Remember ^(AT)the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ^9 (AU)For six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; on it ^(AV)you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your cattle, or your ^[s]resident who ^[t]stays with you. ^11 (AW)For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; for that reason the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹² “^(AX)Honor your father and your mother, so that your ^(AY)days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord your God gives you.

¹³ “^(AZ)You shall not murder.

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

¹⁵ “^(BB)You shall not steal.

¹⁶ “^(BC)You shall not ^[u]give false testimony against your ^(BD)neighbor.

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

¹⁸ And ^(BG)all the people were watching and hearing the ^[v]thunder and the lightning flashes, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it all, they trembled and stood at a distance. ^19 (BH)Then they said to Moses, “Speak ^[w]to us yourself and we will listen; but do not have God speak ^[x]to us, or we will die!” ²⁰ However, Moses said to the people, “^(BI)Do not be afraid; for God has come in order ^(BJ)to test you, and in order that ^(BK)the fear of Him may ^[y]remain with you, so that you will not sin.” ²¹ So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached ^(BL)the thick darkness where God was.

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen that ^(BM)I have spoken ^[z]to you from heaven. ^23 (BN)You shall not make other gods besides Me; ^(BO)gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. ²⁴ You shall make ^(BP)an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your ^(BQ)burnt offerings and your ^(BR)peace offerings, ^(BS)your sheep and your oxen; in every place ^(BT)where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. ²⁵ And if you make an altar of stone for Me, ^(BU)you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your chisel on it, you will profane it. ²⁶ And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that ^(BV)your nakedness will not be exposed on it.’