Exodus 19

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

In the third month after leaving Egypt, the Israelites arrived in the Wilderness of Sinai and camped in front of the mountain. Moses ascended the mountain where God instructed him to remind the people of His actions and to propose a covenant, to which the elders and people unanimously agreed. The LORD then announced that He would descend in a dense cloud on the third day and commanded Moses to consecrate the people and set a strict boundary around the mountain to prevent anyone or any animal from touching it under penalty of death. On the third morning, thunder, lightning, a thick cloud, and a loud ram's horn accompanied the descent of the LORD in fire and smoke, causing the mountain to quake violently as the people gathered at its foot. Moses brought the people out to meet God, and after a brief dialogue, the LORD sent Moses back down with Aaron to warn the people and priests once more not to break through the boundary.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

¹In the third month, on the same day of the month that the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. ²After they had set out from Rephidim, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain. ³Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, “This is what you are to tell the house of Jacob and explain to the sons of Israel: ⁴‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. ⁵Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. ⁶And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.” ⁷So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. ⁸And all the people answered together, “We will do everything that the LORD has spoken.” So Moses brought their words back to the LORD. ⁹The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will always put their trust in you.” And Moses relayed to the LORD what the people had said. ¹⁰Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes ¹¹and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹²And you are to set up a boundary for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful not to go up on the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ¹³No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows—whether man or beast, he must not live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain. ” ¹⁴When Moses came down from the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵“Be prepared for the third day,” he said to the people. “Do not draw near to a woman.” ¹⁶On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the people in the camp trembled. ¹⁷Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. ¹⁹And as the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder. ²⁰The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the summit. So Moses went up, ²¹and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the LORD, lest many of them perish. ²²Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.” ²³But Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, for You solemnly warned us, ‘Put a boundary around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’” ²⁴And the LORD replied, “Go down and bring Aaron with you. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the LORD, or He will break out against them.” ²⁵So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

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Louis Segond 1910 and Berean Standard Bible: public domain. Cross references: open-cross-ref, Creative Commons BY 4.0.