At Mount Sinai
1On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
3Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6you19:5,6 Or possession, for the whole earth is mine. 6 You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
7So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. 8The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.
9The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.
10And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes 11and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”
14After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.”
16On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain19:18 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint and all the people trembled violently. 19As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.19:19 Or and God answered him with thunder
20The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. 22Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.”
23Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’ ”
24The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or he 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，怎樣像鷹一樣把你們背在翅膀上帶來歸屬我，你們都看見了。 5現在，你們若真心聽從我的話，遵守我的約，就必在萬民中做我寶貴的產業，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限，吩咐百姓不得上山或觸碰山的邊界，觸碰者必被處死。 13你們不可用手碰違例者，要用石頭打死他或用箭射死他，無論人畜，都不可存活。等到角聲長鳴時，百姓才可上山。」 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，山上瀰漫著濃煙，滾滾上騰，好像一個大火窯，整座山劇烈震動。 19號角聲越來越嘹亮。摩西說話，上帝用雷鳴回應他。 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：「你下去警告百姓不可闖過界限到我這裡觀看，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，使這山聖潔。」 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。
