Exodus 19
Legacy Standard Bible
Israel at Sinai
19 (A)In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on this day they came into the wilderness of (B)Sinai. 2 Then they set out from (C)Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of (D)the mountain.
3 Now Moses went up to God, and (E)Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus 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 lifted you up on (G)eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 So now then, (H)if you will indeed listen to My voice and (I)keep My covenant, then you shall be (J)My treasured 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 Yahweh had commanded him. 8 (O)And all the people answered together and said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to Yahweh. 9 Yahweh 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 believe in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh.
10 Yahweh also said to Moses, “Go to the people and (R)set them apart as holy today and tomorrow, and let them (S)wash their garments; 11 and let them be ready for the third day, for on (T)the third day Yahweh will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 And you shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘[a]Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; (U)whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him, but (V)he shall surely be stoned or surely [b]shot through; whether beast or man, he 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 set the people apart as holy, and they washed their garments. 15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”
16 (X)So it happened on the third day, when it was morning, that there were [c]thunder and lightning flashes and a [d]thick cloud upon 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 [e]foot of the mountain.
Yahweh Descends on Mount Sinai
18 (Y)Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because Yahweh descended upon it (Z)in fire; and its smoke ascended like (AA)the smoke of a furnace, and (AB)the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 And the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder; then Moses spoke and (AC)God answered him with [f]thunder. 20 (AD)And Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go down, [g]warn the people, lest (AE)they break through to Yahweh to see, and many of them [h]perish. 22 Also let the (AF)priests who come near to Yahweh set themselves apart as holy, lest Yahweh break out against them.” 23 And Moses said to Yahweh, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You [i]warned us, saying, ‘(AG)Set bounds about the mountain, and set it apart as holy.’” 24 Then Yahweh said to him, “[j]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 Yahweh, lest He break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.
Footnotes
- Exodus 19:12 Lit Take heed to yourselves
- Exodus 19:13 With arrows
- Exodus 19:16 Lit sounds
- Exodus 19:16 Lit heavy
- Exodus 19:17 Lit lower part
- Exodus 19:19 Or a voice; lit a sound
- Exodus 19:21 Lit testify to
- Exodus 19:21 Lit fall
- Exodus 19:23 Lit testified to
- Exodus 19:24 Lit Go, descend
Exodus 19
Evangelical Heritage Version
Israel at Sinai
19 In the third month after the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, on that same day of the month, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim and came to the Wilderness of Sinai, they camped in the wilderness. Israel camped there in front of the mountain.
3 Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you will carefully listen to my voice and keep my covenant, then you will be my special treasure out of all the nations, although the entire earth is mine. 6 You will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”
7 Moses went and summoned the elders of the people, and he set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together, “Everything that the Lord has said, we will do.”
Moses brought back the people’s words to the Lord. 9 The Lord said to Moses, “Look, I will come to you in a dense cloud so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and then they will always believe you.” Moses told the people’s words to the Lord.
10 The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothes. 11 Be ready by the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 You shall set boundaries for the people all around the mountain. Tell them: ‘Be careful that you do not go up onto the mountain or touch the edge of it.’ Whoever touches the mountain must certainly be put to death. 13 No one’s hand is to touch such a person, but that person is to be stoned to death or shot with arrows. No such animal or person shall be allowed to live. But when the special ram’s horn sounds a long blast, the people may come up to the mountain.”
14 Moses went down from the mountain to the people. He consecrated the people, and they washed their clothes. 15 He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Do not come near a woman.”[a]
16 On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was over the mountain, and there was a very loud blast of a ram’s horn. All the people in the camp trembled. 17 Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. Its smoke went up like the smoke from a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 When the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in the thunder. 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, at the top of the mountain. The Lord then called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
21 The Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord. If they do, many of them will fall. 22 Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves so that the Lord does not break out against them.”
23 Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, because you warned, ‘Set boundaries around the mountain and treat it as holy.’”
24 The Lord said to him, “Go down and bring Aaron up with you, but the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the Lord, so that the Lord will not break out against them.”
25 So Moses went down to the people and told them these things.
Footnotes
- Exodus 19:15 The prohibition is not limited to sexual intercourse, because even touching a woman during her period made a man unclean. See Leviticus 15:19-24.
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