Israel at Mount Sinai

1In the third month of the departure of Israel out of the land of Egypt, on this day they came into the wilderness of Sinai: 2For departing out of Raphidim, and coming to the desert of Sinai, they camped in the same place, and there Israel pitched their tents over against the mountain. 3And Moses went up to God: and the Lord called unto him from the mountain, and said: Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4You have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, how I have carried you upon the wings of eagles, and have taken you to myself. 5If therefore you will hear my voice, and keep my covenant, you shall be my peculiar possession above all people: for all the earth is mine. 6And you shall be to me a priestly kingdom, and a holy nation. Those are the words thou shalt speak to the children of Israel.

7Moses came, and calling together the elders of the people, he declared all the words which the Lord had commanded. 8And all the people answered together: All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do. And when Moses had related the people's words to the Lord, 9The Lord said to him: Lo, now will I come to thee in the darkness of a cloud, that the people may hear me speaking to thee, and may believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

10And he said to him: Go to the people, and sanctify them to day, and to morrow, and let them wash their garments. 11And let them be ready against the third day: for on the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 12And thou shalt appoint certain limits to the people round about, and thou shalt say to them: Take heed you go not up into the mount, and that ye touch not the borders thereof: every one that toucheth the mount dying he shall die. 13No hands shall touch him, but he shall be stoned to death, or shall be shot through with arrows: whether it be beast, or man, he shall not live. When the trumpet shall begin to sound, then let them go up into the mount. 14And Moses came down from the mount to the people, and sanctified them. And when they had washed their garments, 15He said to them: Be ready against the third day, and come not near your wives.

16And now the third day was come, and the morning appeared: and behold thunders began to be heard, and lightning to flash, and a very thick cloud to cover the mount, and the noise of the trumpet sounded exceeding loud, and the people that was in the camp, feared. 17And when Moses had brought them forth to meet God from the place of the camp, they stood at the bottom of the mount.

The Lord Visits Sinai

18And all mount Sinai was on a smoke: because the Lord was come down upon it in fire, and the smoke arose from it as out of a furnace: and all the mount was terrible. 19And the sound of the trumpet grew by degrees louder and louder, and was drawn out to a greater length: Moses spoke, and God answered him. 20And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, in the very top of the mount, and he called Moses unto the top thereof. And when he was gone up thither, 21He said unto him: Go down, and charge the people: lest they should have a mind to pass the limits to see the Lord, and a very great multitude of them should perish. 22The priests also that come to the Lord, let them be sanctified, lest he strike them. 23And Moses said to the Lord: The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou did charge, and command, saying: Set limits about the mount, and sanctify it. 24And the Lord said to him: Go, get thee down: and thou shalt come up, thou and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people pass the limits, nor come up to the Lord, lest he kill them. 25And Moses went down to the people and told them all.