15. he said to them, "Be prepared on the third day, and do not draw near to your wives."
16. And now, the third day arrived and the morning dawned. And behold, thunders began to be heard, and also lightning flashed, and a very dense cloud covered the mountain, and the noise of the trumpet resounded vehemently. And the people who were in the camp were fearful.
17. And when Moses had led them out to meet God, from the place of the camp, they stood at the base of the mountain.
18. Then all of Mount Sinai was smoking. For the Lord had descended over it with fire, and smoke ascended from it, as from a furnace. And the entire mountain was terrible.
19. And the sound of the trumpet gradually increased to be louder, and extended to be longer. Moses was speaking, and God was answering him.
20. And the Lord descended over Mount Sinai, to the very top of the mountain, and he called Moses to its summit. And when he had ascended there,
21. he said to him: "Descend, and call the people to witness, lest they might be willing to transgress the limits, so as to see the Lord, and a very great multitude of them might perish.
22. Likewise, the priests who approach toward the Lord, let them be sanctified, lest he strike them down."
23. And Moses said to the Lord: "The people are not able to ascend to Mount Sinai. For you testified, and you commanded, saying: 'Set limits around the mountain, and sanctify it.' "
24. And the Lord said to him, "Go, descend. And you shall ascend, and Aaron with you. But let not the priests or the people transgress the limits, nor ascend to the Lord, lest perhaps he may put them to death."