¹² Put boundaries for the people all around the mountain and say: Be careful that you don’t go up on the mountain or touch its base. Anyone who touches the mountain will be put to death.^{(A) 13} No hand may touch him; instead he will be stoned or shot with arrows. No animal or man will live. When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they may go up the mountain.”

¹⁸ Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord came down on it in fire.^(A) Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace,^(B) and the whole mountain shook violently.^(C)

The People’s Reaction

¹⁸ All the people witnessed^[a] the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it^[b] they trembled and stood at a distance.^{(A) 19} “You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.”^(B)

²⁰ Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not^[c] sin.”^{(C) 21} And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.^(D)

¹¹ You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire into the heavens and enveloped in a dense, black cloud.

⁵ At that time I was standing between the Lord and you to report the word^[a] of the Lord to you, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain. And He said:

²⁵ But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.