Then Moses climbed up the mountain to meet with God. God spoke to him on the mountain and said, "Tell this to the Israelites, the great family of Jacob:
So now I tell you to obey my commands and keep my agreement. So if you do this, you will be my own special people. The whole world belongs to me, but I am choosing you to be my own special people.
So Moses climbed down the mountain and called the elders of the people together. Moses told the elders everything the Lord had commanded him to tell them.
All the people spoke at the same time and said, "We will obey everything the Lord says." Then Moses went back up the mountain and told the Lord that the people would obey him.
Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will come to you in the thick cloud. I will speak to you. All of the people will hear me talking to you. I will do this so that they will always believe what you tell them." Then Moses told God everything the people had said.
But you must tell the people to stay away from the mountain. Make a line and don't let them cross it. Any person or animal that touches the mountain must be killed with stones or shot with arrows. But don't let anyone touch them. The people must wait until the trumpet blows. Only then can they go up the mountain."
On the morning of the third day, a thick cloud came down onto the mountain. There was thunder and lightning and a very loud sound from a trumpet. All the people in the camp were frightened.
Mount Sinai was covered with smoke. Smoke rose off the mountain like smoke from a furnace. This happened because the Lord came down to the mountain in fire. Also the whole mountain began to shake.
So the Lord came down to Mount Sinai. He came from heaven to the top of the mountain. Then he called Moses to come up to the top of the mountain with him. So Moses went up the mountain.
Moses told the Lord, "But the people cannot come up the mountain. You yourself told us to make a line and not allow the people to cross the line to holy ground. "
The Lord said to him, "Go down to the people. Get Aaron and bring him back with you. But don't let the priests or the people come near me. I will punish them if they come too close."