HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 440
EX O D U S 1 9
fifty, and ten. 26 These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes.
They brought the major cases to Moses, but they
took care of the smaller matters themselves.
27 Soon after this, Moses said good-bye to his
father-in-law, who returned to his own land.
The LORD Reveals Himself at Sinai
Exactly two months after the Israelites
left Egypt,* they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai. 2 After breaking camp at Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and
set up camp there at the base of Mount Sinai.
3 Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God. The Lord called to him from
the mountain and said, “Give these instructions
to the family of Jacob; announce it to the descendants of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did
to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on
eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now
if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you
will be my own special treasure from among all
the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs
to me. 6 And you will be my kingdom of priests,
my holy nation.’ This is the message you must
give to the people of Israel.”
7 So Moses returned from the mountain and
called together the elders of the people and told
them everything the Lord had commanded him.
8 And all the people responded together, “We
will do everything the Lord has commanded.”
So Moses brought the people’s answer back to
the Lord.
9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will come
to you in a thick cloud, Moses, so the people
themselves can hear me when I speak with you.
Then they will always trust you.”
Moses told the Lord what the people had
said. 10 Then the Lord told Moses, “Go down
and prepare the people for my arrival. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them
wash their clothing. 11 Be sure they are ready
on the third day, for on that day the Lord will
come down on Mount Sinai as all the people
watch. 12 Mark off a boundary all around the
mountain. Warn the people, ‘Be careful! Do not
go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Anyone who touches the mountain will
certainly be put to death. 13 No hand may touch
the person or animal that crosses the boundary;
instead, stone them or shoot them with arrows.
They must be put to death.’ However, when the
ram’s horn sounds a long blast, then the people
may go up on the mountain.*”
14 So Moses went down to the people. He consecrated them for worship, and they washed
their clothes. 15 He told them, “Get ready for the
third day, and until then abstain from having
sexual intercourse.”
16 On the morning of the third day, thunder
roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud
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came down on the mountain. There was a long,
loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people
trembled. 17 Moses led them out from the camp
to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of
the mountain. 18 All of Mount Sinai was covered
with smoke because the Lord had descended on
it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into
the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the
whole mountain shook violently. 19 As the blast
of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses
spoke, and God thundered his reply. 20 The Lord
came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called
Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses
climbed the mountain.
21 Then the Lord told Moses, “Go back down
and warn the people not to break through the
boundaries to see the Lord, or they will die.
22 Even the priests who regularly come near to
the Lord must purify themselves so that the
Lord does not break out and destroy them.”
23 “But Lord,” Moses protested, “the people
cannot come up to Mount Sinai. You already
warned us. You told me, ‘Mark off a boundary
all around the mountain to set it apart as holy.’”
24 But the Lord said, “Go down and bring
Aaron back up with you. In the meantime, do
not let the priests or the people break through
to approach the Lord, or he will break out and
destroy them.”
25 So Moses went down to the people and told
them what the Lord had said.
Ten Commandments for the
Covenant Community
Then God gave the people all these
instructions*:
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2 “I
am the Lord your God, who rescued you
from the land of Egypt, the place of your
slavery.
3 “You must not have any other god but me.
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of
any kind or an image of anything in the
heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You
must not bow down to them or worship
them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous
God who will not tolerate your affection for
any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents
upon their children; the entire family is
affected—even children in the third and
fourth generations of those who reject me.
6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand
generations on those* who love me and
obey my commands.
7 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord
your God. The Lord will not let you go
unpunished if you misuse his name.
8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day
19:1 Hebrew In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt,
on the very day, i.e., two lunar months to the day after leaving
Egypt. Compare Num 33:3. 19:13 Or up to the mountain.
20:1 Hebrew all these words. 20:6 Hebrew for thousands
of those.