The Israelites at Mount Sinai
1In the 3rd month, on the same day that the Israelites went out of Egypt, they came to the Sinai Desert. 2They went away from Rephidim and they went into the Sinai Desert and put up their tents in front of the mountain, Mount Sinai. 3Moses went up the mountain to God. The Lord talked to Moses from the mountain and He said: ‘You must say this to the descendants of Jacob, the Israelites:
4“You have seen what I did
to the Egyptians.
I protected you and carried you
like an eagle carries her babies on her wings.
I have brought you to Me.
5If you listen to Me and do what I say,
and if you keep my covenant,
you will be my people,
because everything on earth belongs to Me.
6You will be my priests, and I will rule over you.
You will be my holy people.”
This is what you must tell the Israelites.’
7Moses came down from the mountain and he called the leaders_of_Israel to come to him. He told them everything that God had said to him. 8All the people agreed, and said: ‘We will do everything the Lord has said.’
Moses told the Lord what the people had said. 9The Lord said to Moses: ‘I will come to you in a dark cloud so that the people can listen while I speak to you. Then they will always believe you.’
Moses told the Lord what the people said. 10The Lord said to Moses: ‘Go to the people. Purify them today and tomorrow and tell them to wash their clothes. 11They must be ready the day after tomorrow, because on that day I will come down to Mount Sinai. Everyone will see Me there. 12But you must tell the people not to come near the mountain. They may not go up the mountain or touch it. If someone touches the mountain, then he must die. 13And the other people may not touch a person who has done it. They must kill him with stones or shoot him with a bow_and_arrow. You must do the same to an animal that has touched the mountain. It may not live. But when the people hear the sound of the ram's-horn, they may go up the mountain.’
14Moses came down from the mountain and he went to the people. He purified them and told them to wash their clothes. 15He told the people: ‘You must be ready the day after tomorrow and you may not have sex.’
16On the morning of the 3rd day there was thunder and lightning and a dark cloud came over the mountain. The Israelites heard the loud sound of the ram's-horn. Everyone in the camp was afraid and they trembled. 17Moses took the people out of the camp to meet God. They stood at the foot of the mountain. 18Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord came down to the mountain in fire. The smoke went up into the air like the smoke of a furnace and the mountain trembled a lot. 19They continued to blow the ram's-horn and the noise became very loud. Moses talked to God and God answered him. God's answer was like thunder. 20The Lord came down on Mount Sinai. He was on the mountain and He called Moses to come to Him. Moses went 21and the Lord said to him: ‘Go down and warn the people. Tell them not to come up to Me. The people who look at Me will die. 22The priests who bring offerings to Me must purify themselves. If they don't, I will cause them to die.’
23Moses said to the Lord: ‘The people may not go up Mount Sinai. You warned us not to go to the mountain because it is holy.’ 24The Lord said to Moses: ‘Go down and bring Aaron back with you. But the priests and other people may not come up to Me, because then I will cause them to die.’ 25So Moses went down to the people and he told them everything.
