Exodus 19:9-20:1

English Standard Version

⁹And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you ^(A)in a thick cloud, that ^(B)the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also ^(C)believe you forever.”

When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, ¹⁰the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and ^(D)consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them ^(E)wash their garments ¹¹and be ready for the third day. For on the third day ^(F)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. ^(G)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 ^(H)the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” ¹⁴So Moses ^(I)went down from the mountain to the people and ^(J)consecrated the people; ^(K)and they washed their garments. ¹⁵And he said to the people, “Be ready for the ^(L)third day; ^(M)do not go near a woman.”

¹⁶On the morning of the ^(N)third day there were ^(O)thunders and lightnings and ^(P)a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud ^(Q)trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp ^(R)trembled. ¹⁷Then ^(S)Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸Now ^(T)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 ^(U)the whole mountain trembled greatly. ¹⁹And as the ^(V)sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and ^(W)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 ^(X)to look and many of them perish. ²²Also let the priests who come near to the Lord ^(Y)consecrate themselves, lest the Lord ^(Z)break out against them.” ²³And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ^(AA)‘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 ^(AB)break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” ²⁵So Moses went down to the people and told them.