A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
Exodus 19
Exodus 19 is the nineteenth chapter of the book of Exodus and the chapter of Israel's arrival at Sinai and the preparation for the giving of the law. The 25-verse chapter contains the great covenant offer, the consecration of the people, and the theophany on the third day that frames the Ten Commandments in the next chapter.
The chapter opens with Israel arriving at the Wilderness of Sinai in the third month after leaving Egypt and camping in front of the mountain. Moses goes up to God. The LORD calls to him from the mountain and gives him a message for the house of Jacob and the children of Israel. "You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now 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. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
Moses comes down and summons the elders of Israel. He sets the LORD's words before them. The people answer together, "We will do everything that the LORD has spoken." Moses brings their answer back to the LORD.
The LORD then tells Moses he will come to him in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear him speak with Moses and trust Moses from that day on. He instructs Moses to consecrate the people for three days. They are to wash their clothes and abstain from sexual relations and be ready for the third day. A boundary is set around the mountain. Anyone, man or beast, who touches the mountain is to die.
On the third day in the morning, thunder and lightning come and a thick cloud, with a very loud blast of a trumpet. The people in the camp tremble. Moses brings them out to meet God. They stand at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai is wrapped in smoke because the LORD has descended on it in fire. The smoke rises like the smoke of a furnace. The whole mountain quakes violently. The trumpet grows louder and louder. Moses speaks, and God answers him in thunder.
The LORD calls Moses up to the top. There he warns him to go back down and warn the people not to break through to look at him. Moses tells the LORD that the people cannot come up; the boundary has already been set. The LORD tells Moses to go down and bring Aaron back up with him.
Verse 1. In 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.
Verse 2. After they had set out from Rephidim, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain.
Verse 3. Then 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:
Verse 4. ‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.
Verse 5. Now 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.
Verse 6. And 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.”
Verse 7. So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him.
Verse 8. And all the people answered together, “We will do everything that the LORD has spoken.” So Moses brought their words back to the LORD.
Verse 9. The 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.
Verse 10. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes
Verse 11. and 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.
Verse 12. And 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.
Verse 13. No 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.”
Verse 14. When Moses came down from the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.
Verse 15. “Be prepared for the third day,” he said to the people. “Do not draw near to a woman.”
Verse 16. On 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.
Verse 17. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
Verse 18. Mount 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.
Verse 19. And as the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.
Verse 20. The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the summit. So Moses went up,
Verse 21. and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the LORD, lest many of them perish.
Verse 22. Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.”
Verse 23. But 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.’”
Verse 24. And 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.”
Verse 25. So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.
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