Exodus 19

English Standard Version

Israel at Mount Sinai

19 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they ^(A)came into the wilderness of Sinai. ²They set out from ^(B)Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before ^(C)the mountain, ³while ^(D)Moses went up to God. ^(E)The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ⁴^(F)‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how ^(G)I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. ⁵Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be ^(H)my treasured possession among all peoples, for ^(I)all the earth is mine; ⁶and you shall be to me a ^(J)kingdom of priests and ^(K)a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

⁷So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. ⁸^(L)All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. ⁹And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you ^(M)in a thick cloud, that ^(N)the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also ^(O)believe you forever.”

When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, ¹⁰the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and ^(P)consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them ^(Q)wash their garments ¹¹and be ready for the third day. For on the third day ^(R)the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹²And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. ^(S)Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. ¹³No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot;^[a] whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When ^(T)the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” ¹⁴So Moses ^(U)went down from the mountain to the people and ^(V)consecrated the people; ^(W)and they washed their garments. ¹⁵And he said to the people, “Be ready for the ^(X)third day; ^(Y)do not go near a woman.”

¹⁶On the morning of the ^(Z)third day there were ^(AA)thunders and lightnings and ^(AB)a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud ^(AC)trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp ^(AD)trembled. ¹⁷Then ^(AE)Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸Now ^(AF)Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and ^(AG)the whole mountain trembled greatly. ¹⁹And as the ^(AH)sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and ^(AI)God answered him in thunder. ²⁰The 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.

²¹And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord ^(AJ)to look and many of them perish. ²²Also let the priests who come near to the Lord ^(AK)consecrate themselves, lest the Lord ^(AL)break out against them.” ²³And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ^(AM)‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’” ²⁴And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people ^(AN)break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” ²⁵So Moses went down to the people and told them.

Footnotes

Exodus 19:13 That is, shot with an arrow

Exodus 24

English Standard Version

The Covenant Confirmed

24 Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, ^(A)Nadab, and Abihu, and ^(B)seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. ²Moses ^(C)alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”

³Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and ^(D)all the rules.^[a] And all the people answered with one voice and said, ^(E)“All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” ⁴And ^(F)Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve ^(G)pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. ⁶And ^(H)Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. ⁷Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, ^(I)“All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” ⁸^(J)And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

⁹Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and ^(K)seventy of the elders of Israel ^(L)went up, ¹⁰and they ^(M)saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of ^(N)sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. ¹¹And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ^(O)ate and drank.

¹²The Lord said to Moses, ^(P)“Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the ^(Q)tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” ¹³So Moses rose with his assistant ^(R)Joshua, and Moses went up ^(S)into the mountain of God. ¹⁴And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and ^(T)Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.”

¹⁵Then Moses went up on the mountain, and ^(U)the cloud covered the mountain. ¹⁶^(V)The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. ¹⁷Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a ^(W)devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. ¹⁸Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses ^(X)was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.