²¹ And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the total darkness where God was.^(A)

² The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell your brother Aaron that he may not come whenever he wants into the holy place^(A) behind the curtain^(B) in front of the mercy seat^(C) on the ark or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud^(D) above the mercy seat.^(E)

The People’s Response

²² ‘The Lord spoke these commands in a loud voice to your entire assembly from the fire, cloud, and total darkness on the mountain; he added nothing more. He wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.