¶¹In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came² they into the wilderness of Sinai.

For they were departed from Rephidim³, and were come to the desert⁴ of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped⁵ before the mount.

And Moses went up⁶ unto God, and the LORD called⁷ unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

Ye have seen⁸ what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you⁹ on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

Now therefore, if ye¹⁰ will obey my voice indeed, and keep¹¹ my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar¹² treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth¹³ is mine:

And ye shall be unto me a kingdom¹⁴ of priests, and an¹⁵ holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

And Moses came and called for the elders¹⁶ of the people, and laid¹⁷ before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

¹⁸And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo,¹⁹ I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the²⁰ people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe²¹ thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.

¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify²² them to day and to morrow, and let them wash²³ their clothes,

And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD²⁴ will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

And thou shalt set bounds²⁵ unto the people round about, saying, Take²⁶ heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch²⁷ the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:

There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether²⁸ it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet²⁹ soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified³⁰ the people; and they washed their clothes.

And he said unto the people, Be ready³¹ against the third³² day: come not³³ at your wives.

¶ And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders³⁴ and lightnings, and a thick³⁵ cloud upon the mount, and the voice³⁶ of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people³⁷ that was in the camp trembled.

³⁸And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.

And mount Sinai³⁹ was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire⁴⁰: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke⁴¹ of a furnace, and the whole⁴² mount quaked greatly.

And when⁴³ the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses⁴⁴ spake, and God⁴⁵ answered him by a voice.

¶ And the LORD came⁴⁶ down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up⁴⁷.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge⁴⁸ the people, lest they break⁴⁹ through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.

And let the priests⁵⁰ also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify⁵¹ themselves, lest the LORD break⁵² forth upon them.

And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds⁵³ about the mount, and sanctify it.

And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou⁵⁴ shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let⁵⁵ not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest⁵⁶ he break forth upon them.

⁵⁷So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.