¹⁹ and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak^(A) to us or we will die.”^(B)

²¹ The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness^(A) where God was.

Idols and Altars

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:^(B)

⁵ (At that time I stood between^(A) the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid^(B) of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said:

²² These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness;^(A) and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets^(B) and gave them to me.

²³ When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders^(C) came to me.

²⁷ Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says.^(A) Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”^(B)

³¹ But you stay here^(A) with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess.”

³⁸ He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel^(A) who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors;^(B) and he received living words^(C) to pass on to us.^(D)