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Exodus 19

1In the third month after the sons of Israel went out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came to the wilderness of Sinai. 2They traveled from Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness. Israel camped there in front of the mountain. 3Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, “Say this to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: 4You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5Now, if you truly listen to my voice and keep my covenant, you will be my treasured possession from among all peoples, for all the earth is mine. 6You will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation to me. These are the words you must speak to the sons of Israel.”

7Moses came and summoned the people's elders and set before them all these words that Yahweh had commanded him. 8All the people answered together, “Everything Yahweh has spoken we will do.” Moses brought the people's words back to Yahweh. 9Yahweh said to Moses, “Look, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe you forever.” Moses told Yahweh the people's words. 10Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Let them wash their clothes 11and be ready for the third day, for on the third day Yahweh will come down on Mount Sinai in all the people's sight. 12Set a boundary for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up the mountain or touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain must be put to death. 13No hand must touch that one; that one must be stoned or shot. Whether animal or human, that one must not live.’ When the ram's horn sounds a long blast, they may go up the mountain.”

14Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people, and they washed their clothes. 15He said to the people, “Be ready for the third day. Do not approach a woman.” 16On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning and a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very strong sound of a horn. All the people in the camp trembled. 17Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18Mount Sinai was all in smoke because Yahweh had come down on it in fire. Its smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19The sound of the horn grew stronger and stronger. Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice. 20Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

21Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to see and many of them fall. 22Even the priests who approach Yahweh must consecrate themselves, lest Yahweh break out against them.” 23Moses said to Yahweh, “The people cannot go up Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set a boundary around the mountain and consecrate it.’” 24Yahweh said to him, “Go, get down. Then you will come up, you and Aaron with you. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to Yahweh, lest he break out against them.” 25Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

Translation notes 6

19:1 — On that very day. The Hebrew does not supply a day number. The first day of the third month is commonly understood, but “the third day of the month” is not stated.

19:4–6 — Eagles; treasured possession. The bird term can include large soaring birds such as vultures; the carrying image expresses rescue. “Treasured possession” describes a specially valued possession, while “kingdom of priests” assigns Israel a collective vocation without explaining its institutional form here.

19:13 — No hand must touch that one. The masculine pronoun is understood here as the offender, who must be killed without direct contact. It can instead be taken to refer to the mountain. The final horn signal marks permission to ascend; the narrative does not specify every detail of that signal's timing.

19:15 — Approach a woman. This is a sexual expression, directing abstinence during preparation. The address is framed toward men; the draft does not turn it into a prohibition on any contact with women or an assertion that women themselves are impure.

19:19 — A voice. The Hebrew can also mean a sound, including thunder. The text does not supply the content of God's answer at this point.

19:22 — Priests. Priests appear here before the later instructions concerning Aaron's priesthood. The draft preserves that sequence without identifying an otherwise unnamed group.