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.

¹⁹ As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice^(A) of God answered^(B) him.^[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.

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

²⁵ See to it that you do not refuse^(A) him who speaks.^(B) If they did not escape when they refused him who warned^(C) them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?^(D)

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)

The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy

¹⁸ You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;^(A)

¹⁶ and the glory^(A) of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai.^(B) For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.^(C)