Theophany at Sinai

19 In the third month after Bnei-Yisrael had gone out of the land of Egypt, that same day they arrived at the wilderness of Sinai. ² They travelled from Rephidim, came into to the wilderness of Sinai, and set up camp in the wilderness. Israel camped there, right in front of the mountain.

³ Moses went up to God, and Adonai called to him from the mountain saying, “Say this to the house of Jacob, and tell Bnei-Yisrael, ⁴ ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagle’s wings and brought you to Myself. ⁵ Now then, if you listen closely to My voice, and keep My covenant, then you will be My own treasure from among all people, for all the earth is Mine. ⁶ So as for you, you will be to Me a kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you are to speak to Bnei-Yisrael.”

⁷ So Moses went, called for the elders of the people, and put before them all these words that Adonai had commanded him. ⁸ All the people answered together and said, “Everything that Adonai has spoken, we will do.” Then Moses reported the words of the people to Adonai.

⁹ Adonai said to Moses, “I am about to come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to Adonai.

¹⁰ Adonai said to Moses, “Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow. Let them wash their clothing. ¹¹ Be ready for the third day. For on the third day Adonai will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹² You are to set boundaries for the people all around, saying, ‘Be very careful not to go up onto the mountain, or touch the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death. ¹³ Not a hand is to touch it, but he will surely be stoned or shot through. Whether it is an animal or a man, it will not live.’ When the shofar sounds, they may come up to the mountain.”

¹⁴ Then Moses went down from the mountain to the people, consecrated them, and then, they washed their clothing. ¹⁵ He said to the people, “Be ready for the third day. Do not draw near your wives.”

¹⁶ In the morning of the third day, there was thundering^[a] and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and the blast of an exceedingly loud shofar. All the people in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the lowest part of the mountain. ¹⁸ Now the entire Mount Sinai was in smoke, because Adonai had descended upon it in fire. The smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace. The whole mountain quaked greatly. ¹⁹ When the sound of the shofar grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him with a thunderous sound.

²⁰ Then Adonai came down onto Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. Adonai called Moses to the top of the mountain, so Moses went up. ²¹ Then Adonai said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to see Adonai, and many of them die. ²² Even the kohanim who come near to Adonai must consecrate themselves, so that Adonai does not break out against them.”

²³ Moses said to Adonai, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You are the One who warned us, saying, ‘Set boundaries around the mountain, and consecrate it.’”

²⁴ Then Adonai said to him, “Go down. You are to come back up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the kohanim and the people break through to come up to Adonai, or He will break out against them.” ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

The Ten Words

20 Then God spoke all these words saying,

² “I am Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

³ “You shall have no other gods before Me. ⁴ Do not make for yourself a graven image^[b], or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or on the earth below or in the water under the earth. ⁵ Do not bow down to them, do not let anyone make you serve them. For I, Adonai your God, am a jealous God, bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, ⁶ but showing lovingkindness to the thousands of generations of those who love Me and keep My mitzvot.

⁷ “You must not take the Name of Adonai your God in vain, for Adonai will not hold him guiltless that takes His Name in vain.

⁸ “Remember Yom Shabbat, to keep it holy. ⁹ You are to work six days, and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Shabbat to Adonai your God. In it you shall not do any work—not you, nor your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, your cattle, nor the outsider that is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Thus Adonai blessed Yom Shabbat, and made it holy.

¹² “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long upon the land which Adonai your God is giving you.

¹³ “Do not murder.

¹⁴ “Do not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “Do not steal.

¹⁶ “Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.

¹⁷ “Do not covet your neighbor’s house, your neighbor’s wife, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

¹⁸ All the people witnessed the thundering and the lightning, and the sound of the shofar, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled and stood far off. ¹⁹ So they said to Moses, “You, speak to us, and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.”

²⁰ So Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that His fear may be in you, so that you do not sin.” ²¹ The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

²² Then Adonai said to Moses, “Say this to Bnei-Yisrael: You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. ²³ Do not make gods of silver alongside Me, and do not make gods of gold for yourselves.