The Israelites at Mount Sinai
1-2 The people of Israel left Rephidim, and on the first day of the third month after they had left Egypt they came to the desert of Sinai. There they set up camp at the foot of Mount Sinai, 3 and Moses went up the mountain to meet with God.
The Lord called to him from the mountain and told him to say to the Israelites, Jacob's descendants: 4 “You saw what I, the Lord, did to the Egyptians and how I carried you as an eagle carries her young on her wings, and brought you here to me. 5 Now, if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own people. The whole earth is mine, but you will be my chosen people, 6 a people dedicated to me alone, and you will serve me as priests.” 7 So Moses went down and called the leaders of the people together and told them everything that the Lord had commanded him. 8 Then all the people answered together, “We will do everything that the Lord has said,” and Moses reported this to the Lord.
9 The Lord said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will believe you from now on.”
Moses told the Lord what the people had answered, 10 and the Lord said to him, “Go to the people and tell them to spend today and tomorrow purifying themselves for worship. They must wash their clothes 11 and be ready the day after tomorrow. On that day I will come down on Mount Sinai, where all the people can see me. 12 Mark a boundary around the mountain that the people must not cross, and tell them not to go up the mountain or even get near it. If any of you set foot on it, you are to be put to death; 13 you must either be stoned or shot with arrows, without anyone touching you. This applies to both people and animals; they must be put to death. But when the trumpet is blown, then the people are to go up to the mountain.”
14 Then Moses came down the mountain and told the people to get ready for worship. So they washed their clothes, 15 and Moses told them, “Be ready by the day after tomorrow and don't have sexual intercourse in the meantime.”
16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud appeared on the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast was heard. All the people in the camp trembled with fear. 17 Moses led them out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord had come down on it in fire. The smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and all the people trembled violently. 19 The sound of the trumpet became louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him with thunder. 20 The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. Moses went up 21 and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to cross the boundary to come and look at me; if they do, many of them will die. 22 Even the priests who come near me must purify themselves, or I will punish them.”
23 Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up, because you commanded us to consider the mountain sacred and to mark a boundary around it.”
24 The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron back with you. But the priests and the people must not cross the boundary to come up to me, or I will punish them.” 25 Moses then went down to the people and told them what the Lord had said.
Israēlieši nonāk pie Sīnaja kalna
1 Trešā mēneša pirmajā dienā pēc Israēla dēlu iziešanas no Ēģiptes viņi nonāca Sīnaja tuksnesī. 2 Viņi devās ceļā no Refidīmas un nonāca Sīnaja tuksnesī, apmetās tuksnesī, un tur Israēls uzcēla nometni kalna pakājē. 3 Tad Mozus kāpa pie Dieva, un Kungs sauca uz viņu no kalna: “Tā saki Jēkaba namam, stāsti Israēla dēliem: 4 jūs redzējāt, ko es darīju ēģiptiešiem, ka es jūs nesu uz ērgļa spārniem un atvedu pie sevis! 5 Un tagad – ja jūs man klausīt klausīsiet un turēsiet manu derību, tad no visām tautām jūs būsiet mans īpašums, jo mana ir visa zeme! 6 Jūs man būsiet priesteru valsts un svēta tauta! – saki šos vārdus Israēla dēliem!”
7 Tad Mozus gāja, sasauca tautas vecajos un stāstīja tiem visu, ko Kungs viņam bija pavēlējis. 8 Un visa tauta atbildēja: “Mēs darīsim visu, ko Kungs teicis!” Mozus atstāstīja Kungam, ko tauta bija teikusi. 9 Un Kungs teica Mozum: “Redzi, es nākšu pie tevis biezā mākonī, lai tauta dzirdētu, kad es runāšu ar tevi, un lai tie tev ticētu mūžam!” Mozus pastāstīja Kungam, ko tauta bija teikusi. 10 Un Kungs teica Mozum: “Ej pie tautas un svētī tos šodien un rīt, un lai tie mazgā savas drānas! 11 Lai tie ir gatavi trešajai dienai, jo trešajā dienā Kungs visas tautas acu priekšā nolaidīsies Sīnaja kalnā. 12 Noliec visapkārt robežas tautas priekšā un saki: sargieties, ka jūs nekāptu kalnā un neskartu tā pakāji; ikviens, kas pieskarsies kalnam, mirtin mirs! 13 Roka to neskars, bet tas tiks nomētāts akmeņiem vai nošauts bultām – cilvēks vai lops, tam nedzīvot! Kad atskanēs rags, tad lai tie kāpj augšā kalnā!” 14 Mozus nokāpa no kalna pie tautas, svētīja tautu, un tie mazgāja savas drānas. 15 Un viņš teica tautai: “Esiet gatavi trešajai dienai, netuvojieties sievietei!” 16 Un trešajā dienā, kad pienāca rīts, pār kalnu bija pērkoni, zibeņi, biezs mākonis un jo stipra raga skaņa – visa tauta, kas bija nometnē, trīcēja. 17 Mozus izveda tautu no nometnes pretī Dievam, un tauta nostājās kalna pakājē. 18 Viss Sīnaja kalns bija dūmos, jo Kungs bija nolaidies ugunī, no tās cēlās dūmi kā no lietuves, un viss kalns varen trīcēja. 19 Raga skaņa dārdēja jo stipri! Mozus runāja, un Dievs viņam atbildēja pērkonā. 20 Kungs nolaidās Sīnaja kalnā, kalna virsotnē, un Kungs pasauca Mozu uz kalna virsotni, un Mozus uzkāpa. 21 Kungs teica Mozum: “Kāp lejā, brīdini tautu, lai neraujas redzēt Kungu, ka nekrīt daudzi no viņiem! 22 Un arī priesteri, kas tuvojas Kungam, lai svētās, ka Kungs tos nesatriec!” 23 Mozus teica Kungam: “Tauta nekāps Sīnaja kalnā, jo tu pats mūs brīdināji, sacīdams: norobežojiet kalnu un svētiet to!” 24 Bet Kungs viņam teica: “Kāp lejā, un lai Ārons nāk kopā ar tevi, bet priesteri un tauta lai neraujas kāpt pie Kunga, ka viņš tos nesatriec!” 25 Un Mozus nokāpa pie tautas un teica to viņiem.
