Self-interpreting Bible

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Exodus 19

1The people come to Sinai. 3God's message unto the people out of the mount. 7Moses delivereth it, and returneth the people's answer. 10The people are ordered to be prepared against the third day; the mountain is not to be touched. 14The people are sanctified. 16The fearful presence of God upon the mount.


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

2 For they were bdeparted from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before cthe mount.

3 And dMoses went up unto God, and the LORD ecalled unto him out of the mountain, saying, fThus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

4 gYe have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you hunto myself.

5 Now itherefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be ja *peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for kall the earth is mine:

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

7 ¶And Moses came and called for the melders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

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

9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in oa thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.

10 ¶And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and psanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

11 And be ready against the third day: for the qthird day the LORD will rcome down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

12 And thou shalt sset bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:

13 There shall not an thand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the 1trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

14 ¶And Moses uwent down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

15 And he said unto the people, vBe ready against the third day: wcome not at your wives.

16 ¶And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there xwere thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the yvoice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.

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

18 And mount Sinai was altogether aon a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount bquaked greatly.

19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, cMoses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

20 And the LORD came 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 up.

    21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, 2charge the people, lest they dbreak through unto the LORD eto gaze, and many of them perish.

    22 And let the fpriests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD gbreak forth upon them.

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

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

    25 So jMoses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.