Saadia · Shemot 19
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- Shemot 19:1
בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי לְצֵאת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם--בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה בָּאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינָי
. . .
In the third month of the departure of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt — on that very day — they came to the wilderness of Sinai.
- Shemot 19:2
וַיִּסְעוּ מֵרְפִידִים וַיָּבֹאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינַי וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיִּחַן-שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר
. . .
For they had journeyed from Rephidim and come to the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in the open country; and Israel encamped there, facing the mountain.
- Shemot 19:3
וּמֹשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל-הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו יְהוָה מִן-הָהָר לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
. . .
And Moses went up to God; and God called to him from the mountain, saying: 'Thus say to the house of Jacob, and make known to the sons of Israel:'
- Shemot 19:4
אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי לְמִצְרָיִם וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל-כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים וָאָבִא אֶתְכֶם אֵלָי
. .
'You have witnessed what I did to the Egyptians, and I carried you — likened to being upon the wings of eagles — and I brought you to this mountain of Mine.'
- Shemot 19:5
וְעַתָּה אִם-שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת-בְּרִיתִי--וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל-הָעַמִּים כִּי-לִי כָּל-הָאָרֶץ
. . .
'And now, if you accept My command and keep My covenant, you shall be Mine as a special possession from among all the peoples — given that all the world is Mine.'
- Shemot 19:6
וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ-לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
. . .
'And you shall be to Me kings and imāms and a consecrated people.' This is the word which was spoken to the sons of Israel.
- Shemot 19:7
וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה וַיִּקְרָא לְזִקְנֵי הָעָם וַיָּשֶׂם לִפְנֵיהֶם אֵת כָּל-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ יְהוָה
. . .
And Moses came and summoned the elders of the people, and recited to them all this word which God had commanded him with.
- Shemot 19:8
וַיַּעֲנוּ כָל-הָעָם יַחְדָּו וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר יְהוָה נַעֲשֶׂה וַיָּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶת-דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל-יְהוָה
. .
And they answered him all together and said: 'All that God has said we will do.' And Moses brought back their words to God.
- Shemot 19:9
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי בָּא אֵלֶיךָ בְּעַב הֶעָנָן בַּעֲבוּר יִשְׁמַע הָעָם בְּדַבְּרִי עִמָּךְ וְגַם-בְּךָ יַאֲמִינוּ לְעוֹלָם וַיַּגֵּד מֹשֶׁה אֶת-דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל-יְהוָה
. . . .
When God said to him: 'Behold, I am revealing Myself to you in a thick mass of My clouds, so that the people may hear My address to you — and that they may trust in you forever, unto eternity.' And Moses reported the words of the people to God.
- Shemot 19:10
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵךְ אֶל-הָעָם וְקִדַּשְׁתָּם הַיּוֹם וּמָחָר וְכִבְּסוּ שִׂמְלֹתָם
. .
And God said to him: 'Go to the people, and purify them today and tomorrow; and let them wash their garments.'
- Shemot 19:11
וְהָיוּ נְכֹנִים לַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי כִּי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִשִׁי יֵרֵד יְהוָה לְעֵינֵי כָל-הָעָם--עַל-הַר סִינָי
.
'And let them be ready for the third day — for on it God will reveal Himself in their presence upon Mount Sinai.'
- Shemot 19:12
וְהִגְבַּלְתָּ אֶת-הָעָם סָבִיב לֵאמֹר הִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶם עֲלוֹת בָּהָר וּנְגֹעַ בְּקָצֵהוּ כָּל-הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּהָר מוֹת יוּמָת
. .
'And set boundaries for the people all around it, and say to them: Beware of ascending the mountain or approaching its edge; whoever approaches it shall surely be put to death.'
- Shemot 19:13
לֹא-תִגַּע בּוֹ יָד כִּי-סָקוֹל יִסָּקֵל אוֹ-יָרֹה יִיָּרֶה--אִם-בְּהֵמָה אִם-אִישׁ לֹא יִחְיֶה בִּמְשֹׁךְ הַיֹּבֵל הֵמָּה יַעֲלוּ בָהָר
. . . .
'In that no hand shall touch it — but he shall be stoned with stones, or shot into with arrows; whether it be beast or human, he shall not live. And when the horn is sounded, it is permitted for them to ascend the mountain.'
- Shemot 19:14
וַיֵּרֶד מֹשֶׁה מִן-הָהָר אֶל-הָעָם וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת-הָעָם וַיְכַבְּסוּ שִׂמְלֹתָם
. . .
And Moses descended from the mountain to the people, and he purified them; and they washed their garments.
- Shemot 19:15
וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-הָעָם הֱיוּ נְכֹנִים לִשְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים אַל-תִּגְּשׁוּ אֶל-אִשָּׁה
. .
And he said to them: 'Be ready for three days; do not approach a woman.'
- Shemot 19:16
וַיְהִי בַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בִּהְיֹת הַבֹּקֶר וַיְהִי קֹלֹת וּבְרָקִים וְעָנָן כָּבֵד עַל-הָהָר וְקֹל שֹׁפָר חָזָק מְאֹד וַיֶּחֱרַד כָּל-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בַּמַּחֲנֶה
. . . .
And when it was on the third day, in the morning, there were thunderclaps and lightning-flashes, and a great dense cloud upon the mountain, and the sound of a horn exceedingly loud — and all the people who were in the encampment were thrown into turmoil.
- Shemot 19:17
וַיּוֹצֵא מֹשֶׁה אֶת-הָעָם לִקְרַאת הָאֱלֹהִים מִן-הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיִּתְיַצְּבוּ בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר
. .
And Moses brought out the people to receive the command of God from the encampment; and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
- Shemot 19:18
וְהַר סִינַי עָשַׁן כֻּלּוֹ מִפְּנֵי אֲשֶׁר יָרַד עָלָיו יְהוָה בָּאֵשׁ וַיַּעַל עֲשָׁנוֹ כְּעֶשֶׁן הַכִּבְשָׁן וַיֶּחֱרַד כָּל-הָהָר מְאֹד
. . .
And Mount Sinai was all enveloped in smoke — because God had revealed Himself upon it in fire; and its smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the mountain shook greatly.
- Shemot 19:19
וַיְהִי קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר הוֹלֵךְ וְחָזֵק מְאֹד מֹשֶׁה יְדַבֵּר וְהָאֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְקוֹל
. . .
And the sound of the horn — each time it passed — grew louder and louder; and Moses would speak, and God would answer him with a voice.
- Shemot 19:20
וַיֵּרֶד יְהוָה עַל-הַר סִינַי אֶל-רֹאשׁ הָהָר וַיִּקְרָא יְהוָה לְמֹשֶׁה אֶל-רֹאשׁ הָהָר וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה
. .
When God revealed Himself upon Mount Sinai, to its summit; and He called to Moses from its summit, and he ascended.
- Shemot 19:21
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה רֵד הָעֵד בָּעָם פֶּן-יֶהֶרְסוּ אֶל-יְהוָה לִרְאוֹת וְנָפַל מִמֶּנּוּ רָב
. .
And God said to him: 'Go down, implore the people, lest they press forward toward the light of God to behold it, and many of them fall.'
- Shemot 19:22
וְגַם הַכֹּהֲנִים הַנִּגָּשִׁים אֶל-יְהוָה יִתְקַדָּשׁוּ פֶּן-יִפְרֹץ בָּהֶם יְהוָה
. .
'And also the imāms who are brought near to the light of God shall sanctify themselves, lest God cut them down.'
- Shemot 19:23
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-יְהוָה לֹא-יוּכַל הָעָם לַעֲלֹת אֶל-הַר סִינָי כִּי-אַתָּה הַעֵדֹתָה בָּנוּ לֵאמֹר הַגְבֵּל אֶת-הָהָר וְקִדַּשְׁתּוֹ
. . . .
And Moses said to God: 'The people are not able to ascend Mount Sinai, for You implored us, saying: Set a boundary around the mountain and consecrate it.'
- Shemot 19:24
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו יְהוָה לֶךְ-רֵד וְעָלִיתָ אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן עִמָּךְ וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהָעָם אַל-יֶהֶרְסוּ לַעֲלֹת אֶל-יְהוָה--פֶּן-יִפְרָץ-בָּם
. . . .
He said to him: 'Go, descend; then ascend — you and Aaron with you — but the imāms and the rest of the people shall not press forward to ascend toward the light of God, lest He cut down from among them.'
- Shemot 19:25
וַיֵּרֶד מֹשֶׁה אֶל-הָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם
.
And Moses descended to the people, and told them that.
English is a working draft — author revising