18 Now when all the people saw ^wthe thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid¹ and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, ^x“You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 ^yMoses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to ^ztest you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the ^athick darkness where God was.