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.
Waisraeli Kwenye Mlima Sinai
119:1 Kut 6:6; Hes 3:14; 33:15Mnamo mwezi wa tatu baada ya Waisraeli kuondoka Misri, siku kama iyo hiyo, wakafika katika Jangwa la Sinai. 219:2 Kut 17:1; 36:1; Kum 5:2-4Baada ya kuondoka Refidimu, waliingia katika Jangwa la Sinai na Israeli wakapiga kambi pale jangwani mbele ya mlima.
319:3 Kut 20:21; 3:4; 25:22; Mdo 7:38Kisha Mose akakwea kwenda kwa Mungu, naye Bwana akamwita kutoka kwenye ule mlima akasema, “Hivi ndivyo utakavyosema na nyumba ya Yakobo na utakachowaambia watu wa Israeli: 419:4 Kum 29:2; Yos 24:7; Kum 32:11; Za 103:5; Isa 40:31; Yer 4:13; 48:40; Ufu 12:14; Kum 33:12; Isa 31:5; Eze 16:6‘Ninyi wenyewe mmeona nililofanya huko Misri, jinsi nilivyowabeba kwenye mbawa za tai na kuwaleta kwangu. 519:5 Kut 15:26; Kum 6:3; Za 78:10; Yer 7:23; Mwa 17:9; Kut 3:1; 8:22; 34:9; Kum 1:8; Tit 2:14; Kut 9:29; 1Kor 10:26Sasa kama mkinitii kikamilifu na kutunza Agano langu, basi ninyi mtakuwa mali yangu ya thamani kubwa miongoni mwa mataifa yote. Ijapokuwa dunia yote ni mali yangu, 619:6 Isa 61:6; 66; 21; 1Pet 2:5; Mwa 18:19; Law 11:45; Kum 4:27; 7:6; 26:19; 28:9; 29:13; 33:3; Isa 4:3; 62:12; Yer 2:3; Amo 3:2ninyi mtakuwa kwangu ufalme wa makuhani na taifa takatifu.’ Haya ndiyo maneno utakayosema kwa wana wa Israeli.”
719:7 Kut 18:12; Law 4:15; 9:1; Hes 16:25; Kut 4:30; Isa 8:10Kwa hiyo Mose akarudi, akawaita wazee wa watu na kuwaambia maneno yote ambayo Bwana alikuwa amemwamuru ayaseme. 819:8 Kut 24:3-7; Kum 5:27; 26:17Watu wote wakajibu kwa pamoja, “Tutafanya kila kitu Bwana alichokisema.” Naye Mose akarudisha majibu yao kwa Bwana.
919:9 Kut 20:21; 24:15-16; 33:9; 34:5; Kum 4:11; 2Sam 22:10-12; 2Nya 6:1; Kut 4:5; Za 18:11; 97:2; 99:7; Mt 17:5; Kum 4:12, 36; Yn 12:29-30Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Nitakujia katika wingu zito, ili watu wanisikie nikinena nawe na kila mara waweke tumaini lao kwako.” Kisha Mose akamwambia Bwana yale ambayo watu walikuwa wamesema.
1019:10 Law 11:44; Hes 11:18; Isa 16:5; Yoe 2:16; Ebr 10:22; Mwa 35:2; Ufu 22:14Naye Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Nenda kwa watu ukawaweke wakfu leo na kesho. Waambie wafue nguo zao 1119:11 Mwa 11:5; Kut 3:1; 24:16; 31:18; 34:2-4, 29-32; Law 7:38; 26:46; 27:34; Hes 3:1; Dan 10:5; Neh 9:13; Gal 4:24-25na wawe tayari siku ya tatu, kwa sababu siku hiyo, Bwana atashuka juu ya mlima Sinai machoni pa watu wote. 12Weka mipaka kuzunguka mlima kwa ajili ya watu, uwaambie, ‘Mwe waangalifu, msije mkapanda mlimani au kuugusa. Yeyote atakayeugusa mlima hakika atauawa. 1319:13 Ebr 12:20; Yos 6:4; 1Nya 15:28; Za 81:3; 98:6; Kut 34:3Hakika atapigwa mawe au kupigwa mishale; mkono wa mtu hautamgusa. Akiwa mwanadamu au mnyama, hataruhusiwa kuishi.’ Ila tu wakati baragumu itakapopigwa kwa mfululizo, ndipo watu wote watakapopanda mlimani.”
1419:14 Mwa 35:2Baada ya Mose kushuka kutoka mlimani akawaendea watu na kuwaweka wakfu, wakafua nguo zao. 1519:15 1Sam 21:4; 1Kor 7:5Kisha akawaambia watu, “Jitayarisheni kwa ajili ya siku ya tatu. Mwanaume yeyote asimkaribie mwanamke.”
1619:16 1Sam 2:10; Isa 29:6; Ebr 12:18-19; Ufu 4:1; Mwa 3:10; 1Sam 13:7; 14:15; 28:5; Za 99:1; Ebr 12:21Asubuhi ya siku ya tatu kulikuwa na ngurumo na radi pamoja na wingu nene juu ya mlima na mlio mkubwa sana wa tarumbeta. Kila mmoja aliyekuwa kambini akatetemeka. 1719:17 Kum 4:11Kisha Mose akawaongoza watu kutoka kambini kukutana na Mungu, nao wakasimama chini ya mlima. 1819:18 Kut 20:18; Za 104:32; Isa 6:4; Ufu 15:8; Kut 3:2; 24:17; Law 9:24; Kum 4:11, 24, 33; 5:4; 9:3; 1Fal 18:24, 38; 1Nya 21:26; 2Nya 7:1; Za 18:8; Ebr 12:18; Mwa 19:28; Ufu 9:2; Amu 5:5; 2Sam 22:8; Za 68:8; Isa 2:19; 5:25; 41:15; 64:1; Yer 4:24; 10:10; Mik 1:4; Nah 1:5; Hab 3:6-10; Hag 2:6Mlima Sinai ulikuwa umefunikwa na moshi, kwa sababu Bwana alishuka juu yake katika moto. Moshi wa moto huo ulipanda juu kama moshi kutoka kwenye tanuru kubwa na mlima wote ukatetemeka kwa nguvu nyingi, 1919:19 Kum 4:33; Neh 9:13; Za 81:7nayo sauti ya tarumbeta ikawa kubwa zaidi na zaidi. Kisha Mose akazungumza na sauti ya Bwana ikamjibu.
20Bwana akashuka juu ya Mlima Sinai na akamwita Mose apande juu mlimani. Kwa hiyo Mose akapanda juu, 2119:21 Kut 24:10-11; Hes 4:20; 1Sam 6:19naye Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Shuka ukawaonye watu ili wasijipenyeze kutafuta kumwona Bwana na wengi wao wakafa. 2219:22 Law 10:3; 1Sam 16:5; 2Nya 29:5; Yoe 2:16; 2Sam 6:7Hata makuhani, watakaomkaribia Bwana ni lazima wajiweke wakfu, la sivyo Bwana atawaadhibu.”
23Mose akamwambia Bwana, “Watu hawawezi kupanda mlima Sinai kwa sababu wewe mwenyewe ulituonya ukisema, ‘Wekeni mipaka kuuzunguka mlima na kuutenga kama patakatifu.’ ”
2419:24 Kut 24:1, 9Bwana akajibu, “Shuka ukamlete Aroni pamoja nawe. Lakini makuhani pamoja na watu wasije wakalazimisha kuja kwa Bwana, nisije nikawaadhibu.”
25Basi Mose akashuka kwa watu na kuwaambia lile aliloambiwa.
