¹⁶ Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were ^(A)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 ^(B)trembled. ¹⁷ And ^(C)Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Now ^(D)Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon ^(E)it in fire. ^(F)Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and ^[a]the ^(G)whole mountain quaked greatly. ¹⁹ And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, ^(H)Moses spoke, and ^(I)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.

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.

The Law of the Altar

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you ^(J)from heaven. ²³ You shall not make anything to be ^(K)with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. ²⁴ An altar of ^(L)earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, ^(M)your sheep and your oxen. In every ^(N)place where I ^[a]record My name I will come to you, and I will ^(O)bless you. ²⁵ And ^(P)if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you ^(Q)use your tool on it, you have profaned it. ²⁶ Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your ^(R)nakedness may not be exposed on it.’