¹⁷ Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.^{(A) 18} Mount Sinai was covered with smoke,^(B) because the Lord descended on it in fire.^(C) The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,^(D) and the whole mountain^[a] trembled^(E) violently. ¹⁹ As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice^(F) of God answered^(G) him.^[b]

²⁰ The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai^(H) and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up ²¹ and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see^(I) the Lord and many of them perish.^{(J) 22} Even the priests, who approach^(K) the Lord, must consecrate^(L) themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.”^(M)

²³ Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai,^(N) because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits^(O) around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’”

²⁴ The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron^(P) up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out against them.”^(Q)

²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone^(A) with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

¹³ Then Moses set out with Joshua^(B) his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain^(C) of God. ¹⁴ He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur^(D) are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute^(E) can go to them.”

¹⁵ When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud^(F) covered it, ¹⁶ and the glory^(G) of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai.^(H) For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.^{(I) 17} To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire^(J) on top of the mountain. ¹⁸ Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty^(K) days and forty nights.^(L)