The Lord speaketh with Moses – Exodus, chapter 19

They come to Sinai: the people are commanded to be sanctified. The Lord, coming in thunder and lightning, speaketh with Moses.

[1] In the third month of the departure of Israel out of the land of Egypt, on this day they came into the wilderness of Sinai: [2] For 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. [3] And 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: [4] You 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. [5] If 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.

[6] And you shall be to me a priestly kingdom, and a holy nation. Those are the words thou shalt speak to the children of Israel. [7] Moses came, and calling together the elders of the people, he declared all the words which the Lord had commanded. [8] And 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, [9] The 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. [10] And he said to him: Go to the people, and sanctify them today, and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments.

[11] And 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. [12] And 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. [13] No 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. [14] And Moses came down from the mount to the people, and sanctified them. And when they had washed their garments, [15] He said to them: Be ready against the third day, and come not near your wives.

[16] And 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. [17] And when Moses had brought them forth to meet God from the place of the camp, they stood at the bottom of the mount. [18] And 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. [19] And 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. [20] And 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,

[21] He 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. [22] The priests also that come to the Lord, let them be sanctified, lest he strike them. [23] And 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. [24] And 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. [25] And Moses went down to the people and told them all.

Commentary

[3] “And Moses went up to God”: Moses went up to mount Sinai, where God spoke to him.