Israel Comes to Mount Sinai
1Exactly three months after the people of Israel left Egypt, they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2After they started out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai. They camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
3Then Moses went up to God. The Lord called out to him from the mountain. He said, “Here is what I want you to say to my people, who belong to Jacob’s family. Tell the Israelites, 4‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt. You saw how I carried you on the wings of eagles and brought you to myself. 5Now obey me completely. Keep my covenant. If you do, then out of all the nations you will be my special treasure. The whole earth is mine. 6But you will be a kingdom of priests to serve me. You will be my holy nation.’ That is what you must tell the Israelites.”
7So Moses went back. He sent for the elders of the people. He explained to them everything the Lord had commanded him to say. 8All the people answered together. They said, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.
9The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “I am going to come to you in a thick cloud. The people will hear me speaking with you. They will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.
10The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people. Today and tomorrow set them apart for me. Have them wash their clothes. 11Have the people ready by the third day. On that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai. Everyone will see it. 12Put limits for the people around the mountain. Tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not go near the mountain. Do not even touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain must be put to death. 13Do not lay a hand on any of them. Kill them with stones or shoot them with arrows. Whether they are people or animals, do not let them live.’ They may go near the mountain only when the ram’s horn gives out a long blast.”
14Moses went down the mountain to the people. After he set them apart for the Lord, they washed their clothes. 15Then he spoke to the people. He said, “Get ready for the third day. Don’t have sex.”
16On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud covered the mountain. A trumpet gave out a very loud blast. Everyone in the camp trembled with fear. 17Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God. They stood at the foot of the mountain. 18Smoke covered Mount Sinai, because the Lord came down on it in fire. The smoke rose up from it like smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain trembled and shook. 19The sound of the trumpet got louder and louder. Then Moses spoke. And the voice of God answered him.
20The Lord came down to the top of Mount Sinai. He told Moses to come to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up. 21The Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people. They must not force their way through to see the Lord. If they do, many of them will die. 22The priests approach the Lord when they serve him. But even they must set themselves apart for the Lord. If they do not, his anger will break out against them.”
23Moses said to the Lord, “The people can’t come up Mount Sinai. You yourself warned us. You said, ‘Put limits around the mountain. Set it apart as holy.’ ”
24The Lord replied, “Go down. Bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through. They must not come up to the Lord. If they do, his anger will break out against them.”
25So Moses went down to the people and told them.
以色列人在西奈山
1以色列人離開埃及滿三個月的那一天，他們來到西奈半島的曠野。 2他們離開利非訂，來到西奈曠野，在那裡的山下安營。
3摩西上山到上帝那裡，耶和華從山上呼喚他說：「你告訴雅各家，告訴以色列人， 4『我怎樣對付埃及人，你們都看見了，我好像鷹一樣把你們背在翅膀上帶到我這裡。 5現在，倘若你們認真聽從我的話，遵守我的約，就必在萬民中做我的子民，因為普天下都是我的。 6你們要歸於我，作祭司之國、聖潔之邦。這些話你要告訴以色列人。』」
7摩西召集以色列的長老，把耶和華對他的一切吩咐都轉告他們。 8百姓都齊聲回答說：「凡耶和華所吩咐的，我們都願意遵從。」
摩西便把他們的話回報耶和華。 9耶和華對摩西說：「我會在密雲中臨到你那裡，使百姓也可以親耳聽見我與你說話的聲音，這樣他們就會永遠信賴你。」摩西把以色列人的話回報耶和華。 10耶和華對摩西說：「你現在回到他們那裡，吩咐他們今天和明天要潔淨自己，洗淨衣服， 11到後天都要預備好，因為這一天耶和華要在百姓眼前降臨在西奈山上。 12此外，你要在山的四圍劃定界線，吩咐百姓不得上山或碰到界線，違例者死。 13你們不可用手觸摸違例者，要用石頭打死他或用箭射死他，牲畜也不例外。百姓要一直等到聽見角聲長鳴才可上山。」 14於是，摩西下山回到百姓那裡，吩咐他們各人潔淨自己，洗淨衣服。 15又吩咐他們說：「到後天一切都要準備好，這期間你們不可親近女人。」
16到了第三天早晨，山上雷電大作，烏雲密佈，又有嘹亮的號角聲，營中的百姓都膽戰心驚。 17摩西率領百姓出營迎接上帝，他們都站在山腳下。 18因為耶和華在火中降臨到西奈山，整座山都冒著濃煙，滾滾上騰，好像一個大火窯，整座山都震動起來。 19號角聲越來越嘹亮。摩西說話，上帝就回應他，聲音好像雷鳴。 20耶和華降臨在西奈山頂，召摩西到山頂，摩西就上去了。 21耶和華對摩西說：「你下去囑咐百姓不可闖過界線到我這裡觀看，以免很多人死亡。 22吩咐到我面前來的祭司要潔淨自己，免得我忽然出來擊殺他們。」
23摩西對耶和華說：「百姓不能上西奈山，因為你已經吩咐我們要在山的四圍劃定界限，使這山成為聖山。」 24耶和華對他說：「你下去把亞倫一起帶來，祭司和百姓仍要留在原來的地方，不得亂闖到我面前，免得我忽然出來擊殺他們。」 25摩西就下去，把耶和華的話轉告給百姓。
