^11 (A)You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain blazed to the heart of the heavens with fire and was enveloped in a dense black cloud.

Moses as Mediator. ²² These words the Lord spoke with a loud voice to your entire assembly on the mountain from the midst of the fire and the dense black cloud, and added no more. He inscribed them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.^{(A) 23} But when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, you came near to me, all your tribal heads and elders, ²⁴ and said, “The Lord, our God, has indeed let us see his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice from the midst of the fire.^(B) Today we have found out that God may speak to a mortal and that person may still live. ²⁵ Now, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the Lord, our God, any more, we shall die.^{(C) 26} For what mortal has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of fire, as we have, and lived? ²⁷ You go closer and listen to all that the Lord, our God, will say, and then tell us what the Lord, our God, tells you; we will listen and obey.”^(D)

¹⁶ This is exactly what you requested of the Lord, your God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let me not again hear the voice of the Lord, my God, nor see this great fire any more, or I will die.”^(A)

^18 [a]You have not approached that which could be touched^[b](A) and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm ¹⁹ and a trumpet blast and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that no message be further addressed to them,^(B)