Exodus 19
Living Bible
19 The Israelis arrived in the Sinai peninsula three months after the night of their departure from Egypt. 2-3 After breaking camp at Rephidim, they came to the base of Mount Sinai and set up camp there. Moses climbed the rugged mountain to meet with God, and from somewhere in the mountain God called to him and said, “Give these instructions to the people of Israel. Tell them, 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I brought you to myself as though on eagles’ wings. 5 Now if you will obey me and keep your part of my contract with you, you shall be my own little flock from among all the nations of the earth; for all the earth is mine. 6 And you shall be a kingdom of priests to God, a holy nation.’”
7 Moses returned from the mountain and called together the leaders of the people and told them what the Lord had said.
8 They all responded in unison, “We will certainly do everything he asks of us.” Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.
9 Then he said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in the form of a dark cloud, so that the people themselves can hear me when I talk with you, and then they will always believe you. 10 Go down now and see that the people are ready for my visit. Sanctify them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothes. 11 Then, the day after tomorrow, I will come down upon Mount Sinai as all the people watch. 12 Set boundary lines the people may not pass, and tell them, ‘Beware! Do not go up into the mountain or even touch its boundaries; whoever does shall die— 13 no hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot to death with arrows, whether man or animal.’ Stay away from the mountain entirely until you hear a ram’s horn sounding one long blast; then gather at the foot of the mountain!”
14 So Moses went down to the people and sanctified them and they washed their clothing.
15 He told them, “Get ready for God’s appearance two days from now, and do not have sexual intercourse with your wives.”
16 On the morning of the third day there was a terrific thunder and lightning storm, and a huge cloud came down upon the mountain, and there was a long, loud blast as from a ram’s horn; and all the people trembled. 17 Moses led them out from the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 All Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because Jehovah descended upon it in the form of fire; the smoke billowed into the sky as from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook with a violent earthquake. 19 As the trumpet blast grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God thundered his reply. 20 So the Lord came down upon the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses up to the top of the mountain, and Moses ascended to God.
21 But the Lord told Moses, “Go back down and warn the people not to cross the boundaries. They must not come up here to try to see God, for if they do, many of them will die. 22 Even the priests on duty[a] must sanctify themselves, or else I will destroy them.”
23 “But the people won’t come up into the mountain!” Moses protested. “You told them not to! You told me to set boundaries around the mountain and to declare it off limits because it is reserved for God.”
24 But Jehovah said, “Go down and bring Aaron back with you, and don’t let the priests and the people break across the boundaries to try to come up here, or I will punish them.”
25 So Moses went down to the people and told them what God had said.
Footnotes
- Exodus 19:22 the priests on duty, literally, “the priests who come near to Jehovah.”
Exodus 19
King James Version
19 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.
9 And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord.
10 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
20 And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.
22 And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them.
23 And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
24 And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord, lest he break forth upon them.
25 So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.
Éxodo 19
Nueva Biblia Viva
Los israelitas en el Sinaí
19 Los israelitas llegaron al desierto de Sinaí, tres meses después de su salida de Egipto. 2-3 Levantaron el campamento en Refidín, y continuaron su viaje. Cuando llegaron al pie del monte Sinaí, establecieron allí su campamento. Moisés subió al monte para encontrarse con Dios, y desde la cima el Señor lo llamó y le dijo: «Esto es lo que les dirás a los israelitas, los descendientes de Jacob: 4 “Ustedes han visto lo que hice con los egipcios, y cómo los traje a ustedes con tanto cuidado, como cuando las águilas llevan sobre sus alas a sus polluelos. 5 Ahora, pues, si oyen mi voz y guardan mi pacto, serán mi principal tesoro entre todas las naciones de la tierra, porque toda la tierra es mía. 6 Y serán un reino de sacerdotes y gente santa”».
7 Moisés descendió del monte, llamó a todos los dirigentes del pueblo y les dijo lo que el Señor le había dicho. 8 Le respondieron unánimes: «Haremos siempre todo lo que él nos pida».
Y Moisés le refirió al Señor la respuesta del pueblo. 9 El Señor le dijo, a Moisés:
―Yo voy a presentarme delante de ti en forma de una nube oscura, de modo que el pueblo mismo pueda oírme cuando hable contigo, y así siempre te creerán. 10 Desciende ahora y haz que el pueblo se prepare para mi visita. Santifícalos hoy y mañana; y haz que laven su ropa. 11 Luego, pasado mañana, descenderé sobre el monte Sinaí, mientras el pueblo observa. 12 Establece límites para que la gente no pase, y diles: “No suban al monte ni toquen sus límites. 13 Si algún hombre o animal lo hace, nadie tocará al ofensor, sino que morirá a pedradas o a flechazos. Permanezcan alejados del monte. Sólo cuando oigan el toque largo de trompeta, podrán subir a la montaña”.
14 Moisés descendió al pueblo y lo santificó, y ellos lavaron su ropa. 15 Luego Moisés les dijo: «Prepárense para encontrarse con Dios pasado mañana, y no tengan relaciones sexuales».
16 En la mañana del tercer día hubo una terrible tormenta de relámpagos y truenos. Una densa nube descendió sobre el monte, y hubo un largo toque de trompeta, y todo el pueblo tembló. 17 Moisés los hizo salir del campamento para ir al encuentro de Dios, y los dejó al pie del monte. 18 Todo el monte Sinaí estaba cubierto de humo, porque el Señor había descendido en forma de fuego. El humo subía al cielo como si saliera de un horno, y todo el monte temblaba como sacudido por un violento terremoto; 19 y el toque de trompeta era cada vez más fuerte. Moisés hablaba con Dios, y él le respondía con voz de trueno.
20 El Señor bajó a la cumbre del monte Sinaí, y llamó a Moisés para que subiera. Entonces Moisés subió, 21 y el Señor le dijo:
―Desciende, y advierte al pueblo que no debe cruzar los límites. Nadie debe subir hasta aquí para tratar de verme, porque morirá. 22 Aun los sacerdotes que estén de turno deben santificarse para que no los destruya.
23 ―Pero el pueblo no subirá al monte —contestó Moisés—. Tú les dijiste que no lo hicieran. Me dijiste que estableciera límites alrededor del monte, y que les avisara que el terreno que estaba a este lado de los límites estaba reservado para ti.
24 El Señor le dijo:
―Desciende y trae a Aarón contigo. Pero nadie más debe subir al monte, ni siquiera los sacerdotes, pues quien lo haga se expone a mi castigo.
25 Moisés bajó del monte, y les dijo a los israelitas lo que el Señor le había comunicado.
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