Exodus · Bible in Basic English
Exodus 19 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 In the third month after the children of Israel went out from Egypt, on the same day, they came into the waste land of Sinai.
1 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.
2 And when they had gone away from Rephidim and had come into the waste land of Sinai, they put up their tents in the waste land before the mountain: there Israel put up its tents.
2 When they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain.
3 And Moses went up to God, and the voice of the Lord came to him from the mountain, saying, Say to the family of Jacob, and give word to the children of Israel:
3 Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him out of the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall tell the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:
4 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I took you, as on eagles' wings, guiding you to myself.
4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself.
5 If now you will truly give ear to my voice and keep my agreement, you will be my special property out of all the peoples: for all the earth is mine:
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine;
6 And you will be a kingdom of priests to me, and a holy nation. These are the words which you are to say to the children of Israel.
6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
7 And Moses came and sent for the chiefs of the people and put before them all these words which the Lord had given him orders to say.
7 Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which Yahweh commanded him.
8 And all the people, answering together, said, Whatever the Lord has said we will do. And Moses took back to the Lord the words of the people.
8 All the people answered together, and said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do.” Moses reported the words of the people to Yahweh.
9 And the Lord said to Moses, See, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that what I say to you may come to the ears of the people and they may have belief in you for ever. And Moses gave the Lord word of what the people had said.
9 Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh.
10 And the Lord said to Moses, Go to the people and make them holy today and tomorrow, and let their clothing be washed.
10 Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments,
11 And by the third day let them be ready: for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai, before the eyes of all the people.
11 and be ready for the third day; for on the third day Yahweh will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai.
12 And let limits be marked out for the people round the mountain, and say to them, Take care not to go up the mountain or near the sides of it: whoever puts his foot on the mountain will certainly come to his death:
12 You shall set bounds to the people all around, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t go up onto the mountain, or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain shall be surely put to death.
13 He is not to be touched by a hand, but is to be stoned or have an arrow put through him; man or beast, he is to be put to death: at the long sounding of a horn they may come up to the mountain.
13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether it is animal or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mountain.”
14 Then Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and made the people holy; and their clothing was washed.
14 Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
15 And he said to the people, Be ready by the third day: do not come near a woman.
15 He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.”
16 And when morning came on the third day, there were thunders and flames and a thick cloud on the mountain, and a horn sounding very loud; and all the people in the tents were shaking with fear.
16 On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet; and all the people who were in the camp trembled.
17 And Moses made the people come out of their tents and take their places before God; and they came to the foot of the mountain,
17 Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lower part of the mountain.
18 And all the mountain of Sinai was smoking, for the Lord had come down on it in fire: and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a great burning; and all the mountain was shaking.
18 All of Mount Sinai smoked, because Yahweh descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
19 And when the sound of the horn became louder and louder, Moses' words were answered by the voice of God.
19 When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice.
20 Then the Lord came down on to Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and the Lord sent for Moses to come up to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
20 Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
21 And the Lord said to Moses, Go down and give the people orders to keep back, for fear that a great number of them, forcing their way through to see the Lord, may come to destruction.
21 Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to gaze, and many of them perish.
22 And let the priests who come near to the Lord make themselves holy, for fear that the Lord may come on them suddenly.
22 Let the priests also, who come near to Yahweh, sanctify themselves, lest Yahweh break out on them.”
23 And Moses said to the Lord, The people will not be able to come up the mountain, for you gave us orders to put limits round the mountain, marking it out and making it holy.
23 Moses said to Yahweh, “The people can’t come up to Mount Sinai, for you warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain, and sanctify it.’”
24 And the Lord said to him, Go down, and you and Aaron may come up; but let not the priests and the people make their way through to the Lord, or he will come on them suddenly.
24 Yahweh said to him, “Go down! You shall bring Aaron up with you, but don’t let the priests and the people break through to come up to Yahweh, lest he break out against them.”
25 So Moses went down to the people and said this to them.
25 So Moses went down to the people, and told them.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Aaron
Moses' brother and spokesman, Israel's first high priest.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 4–40; Leviticus 8–10
Moses
Drawn from the Nile, he led Israel out of Egypt and received God's Law.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2–Deuteronomy 34
Places
Mount Sinai
The location is strongly debated — traditional Jebel Musa in the southern Sinai Peninsula is only one of several proposals (approximate location). It is where the Law was given.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 19:20; Exodus 3:1; Exodus 24:12
Cross references (24)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Exodus 16:1; Exodus 12:6; Exodus 12:2; Numbers 33:15; Leviticus 23:16–18
- 2 Exodus 3:1; Exodus 17:1; Exodus 3:12; Exodus 17:8; Exodus 18:5
- 3 Exodus 3:4; Deuteronomy 5:5–31; Acts 7:38; Exodus 24:15–18; Exodus 20:21
- 4 Deuteronomy 32:11–12; Isaiah 63:9; Isaiah 40:31; Deuteronomy 29:2; Revelation 12:14
- 5 Deuteronomy 14:2; Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 26:18; Exodus 15:26; Malachi 3:17
- 6 Revelation 5:10; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Peter 2:5; Deuteronomy 7:6; Revelation 1:6
- 7 Exodus 4:29–30; Exodus 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1
- 8 Exodus 24:7; Exodus 24:3; Joshua 24:24; Nehemiah 10:29; Deuteronomy 5:27–29
- 9 Deuteronomy 4:36; Exodus 19:16; Exodus 24:15–16; Psalm 97:2; Matthew 17:5
- 10 Hebrews 10:22; Leviticus 11:44–45; Genesis 35:2; Leviticus 11:25; Numbers 8:21
- 11 Exodus 19:16; John 3:13; Exodus 34:5; Deuteronomy 33:2; Exodus 19:18
- 12 Hebrews 12:20–21; Joshua 3:4; Exodus 19:21; Deuteronomy 4:9; Exodus 10:28
- 13 Exodus 19:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews 12:20; Leviticus 20:15–16; Exodus 19:19
- 14 Exodus 19:10
- 15 1 Corinthians 7:5; Exodus 19:11; 1 Samuel 21:4–5; Joel 2:16; Zechariah 6:3
- 16 Hebrews 12:18–19; Psalm 18:11–14; Revelation 4:1; Hebrews 12:21; Revelation 4:5
- 17 Deuteronomy 4:10; Deuteronomy 5:5
- 18 Judges 5:5; Psalm 144:5; Revelation 15:8; Exodus 3:2; Genesis 19:28
- 19 Psalm 81:7; Exodus 19:16; Nehemiah 9:13; Hebrews 12:21; Exodus 19:13
- 20 Nehemiah 9:13; Exodus 24:18; Exodus 34:4; Exodus 24:12–13; Exodus 19:11
- 21 1 Samuel 6:19; Exodus 3:5; Hebrews 12:28–29; Exodus 19:12–13; Exodus 3:3
- 22 Exodus 24:5; 2 Samuel 6:6–8; Exodus 19:14–15; Acts 5:5; 1 Chronicles 13:9–11
- 23 Exodus 19:12; Joshua 3:4–5
- 24 Hebrews 4:16; Hebrews 12:18–25; Hebrews 12:29; John 1:17; Galatians 3:10–11
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
When they were bending and shooting bows, they did also utter the words of most forward promise, saying, "Whatsoever things the Lord our God hath spoken we will do, and we will hear." "They have been turned back in the day of war:" because the promise of obedience not hearing but temptation doth prove.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
For the Word is not stoned, but casts stones when He pleases; and uses a sling against wild beasts--that is, words--approaching the Mount in an unholy way.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)