Exodus 19:10-25

EasyEnglish Bible

¹⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people. Make them ready to meet with me. Today and tomorrow they must wash their clothes. ¹¹ They must be ready on the third day. On that day, I will come down on Sinai mountain, so that all the people see me. ¹² Make a line round the edge of the mountain so that the people do not cross it. Say to them, “Be careful! Do not go up the mountain or even touch the edge of it. If any people or animals touch the mountain, they must die. ¹³ Nobody must go near them. You must throw stones at them to kill them. Or you must shoot arrows at them. You must not let them live, whether they are people or animals.” The people must wait until they hear the sound of a trumpet. When they hear a long noise, then they may go up on the mountain.’

¹⁴ Then Moses came down from the mountain to speak to the people. He told them to make themselves ready for God. So the people washed their clothes. ¹⁵ Then Moses said to them, ‘Prepare yourselves for the third day. While you wait, do not have sex with your wives, or anyone.’

¹⁶ On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was there over the mountain. The people heard the noise of a loud trumpet. They were so afraid that their bodies were shaking.

¹⁷ Then Moses led the people away from their tents to meet with God. They went and they stood at the edge of the mountain. ¹⁸ Smoke covered Sinai mountain because the Lord had come down on the mountain, like a fire. The smoke rose up from the mountain, like smoke from a great fire. The whole mountain shook very much. ¹⁹ The noise of the trumpet became louder and louder. Moses spoke to God and God answered him with a loud voice.

²⁰ The Lord came down onto the top of Sinai mountain. Then the Lord told Moses that he must come up to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up the mountain. ²¹ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go down to the people. Warn them that they must stay away from the mountain. They must not cross the line to try to see me, the Lord. If they do that, many of them will die. ²² Even the priests must make themselves clean before they come near to me. If they do not obey this command, I will punish them. I am the Lord.’

²³ Moses said to the Lord, ‘The people cannot come up Sinai mountain. You warned us that we must make a line round the edge of the mountain. You said that we must make the mountain a special place.’

²⁴ The Lord replied, ‘Now go back down. Then bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must stay where they are. They must not try to come up here where I am. If they come across the line, I will punish them.’

²⁵ So Moses went down to the people. He told them what the Lord had said.