¹⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and ^(A)consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. ¹¹ And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹² You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. ^(B)Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ¹³ Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.”

¹⁴ So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; ^(C)do not come near your wives.”

¹⁶ Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were ^(D)thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp ^(E)trembled. ¹⁷ And ^(F)Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Now ^(G)Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon ^(H)it in fire. ^(I)Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and ^[a]the ^(J)whole mountain quaked greatly. ¹⁹ And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, ^(K)Moses spoke, and ^(L)God answered him by voice. ²⁰ Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

²¹ And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through ^(M)to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. ²² Also let the ^(N)priests who come near the Lord ^(O)consecrate themselves, lest the Lord ^(P)break out against them.”

²³ But Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, ^(Q)‘Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ”

²⁴ Then the Lord said to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them.”

² And ^(A)the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. ³ Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this ^(B)great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

⁴ So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called ^(C)to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

⁵ Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. ^(D)Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” ⁶ Moreover He said, ^(E)“I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for ^(F)he was afraid to look upon God.

The People Afraid of God’s Presence

¹⁸ Now ^(A)all the people ^(B)witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain ^(C)smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. ¹⁹ Then they said to Moses, ^(D)“You speak with us, and we will hear; but ^(E)let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

²⁰ And Moses said to the people, ^(F)“Do not fear; ^(G)for God has come to test you, and ^(H)that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” ²¹ So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near ^(I)the thick darkness where God was.

¹⁷ So the Lord said to Moses, ^(A)“I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”

¹⁸ And he said, “Please, show me ^(B)Your glory.”

¹⁹ Then He said, “I will make all My ^(C)goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. ^(D)I will be gracious to whom I will be ^(E)gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” ²⁰ But He said, “You cannot see My face; for ^(F)no man shall see Me, and live.” ²¹ And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. ²² So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you ^(G)in the cleft of the rock, and will ^(H)cover you with My hand while I pass by. ²³ Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall ^(I)not be seen.”

God the Righteous Judge

A Psalm of Asaph.

Praise to the Sovereign Lord for His Creation and Providence^(A)