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16 On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a loud trumpet sound, so that all the people in the camp shuddered. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord came down on it in fire.(A) Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace,(B) and the whole mountain shook violently.(C) 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.(D)
20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai at the top of the mountain. Then the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and he went up. 21 The Lord directed Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise many of them will die.(E) 22 Even the priests who come near the Lord must purify themselves or the Lord will break out in anger against them.”(F)
23 But Moses responded to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, since You warned us: Put a boundary around the mountain and consider it holy.” 24 And the Lord replied to him, “Go down and come back with Aaron. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the Lord, or He will break out in anger against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.
The Ten Commandments
20 Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.(G)
3 Do not have other gods besides Me.(H)
4 Do not make an idol(I) for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,(J) punishing the children for the fathers’ sin, to the third and fourth generations(K) of those who hate Me, 6 but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.(L)
7 Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His name.(M)
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:(N) 9 You are to labor six days and do all your work,(O) 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the foreigner who is within your gates.(P) 11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.
12 Honor your father and your mother(Q) so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13 Do not murder.(R)
14 Do not commit adultery.(S)
15 Do not steal.(T)
16 Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.(U)
17 Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.(V)
The People’s Reaction
18 All the people witnessed[a] the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it[b] they trembled and stood at a distance.(W) 19 “You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.”(X)
20 Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not[c] sin.”(Y) 21 And the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.(Z)
Moses Receives Additional Laws
22 Then the Lord told Moses, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.(AA) 23 You must not make gods of silver to rival Me; you must not make gods of gold for yourselves.[d](AB)
24 “You must make an earthen altar for Me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats, as well as your cattle. I will come to you and bless you in every place where I cause My name to be remembered.(AC) 25 If you make a stone altar for Me, you must not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you will defile it.(AD) 26 You must not go up to My altar on steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.
21 “These are the ordinances that you must set before them:
Laws about Slaves
2 “When you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for six years; then in the seventh he is to leave as a free man[e] without paying anything.(AE) 3 If he arrives alone, he is to leave alone; if he arrives with[f] a wife, his wife is to leave with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children belong to her master, and the man must leave alone.
5 “But if the slave declares: ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I do not want to leave as a free man,’(AF) 6 his master is to bring him to the judges[g] and then bring him to the door or doorpost. His master must pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve his master for life.
7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave,[h] she is not to leave as the male slaves do.(AG) 8 If she is displeasing to her master, who chose her for himself, then he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners because he has acted treacherously toward her. 9 Or if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her according to the customary treatment of daughters. 10 If he takes an additional wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of the first wife.(AH) 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she may leave free of charge, without any exchange of money.[i]
Laws about Personal Injury
12 “Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death.(AI) 13 But if he didn’t intend any harm,[j] and yet God caused it to happen by his hand, I will appoint a place for you where he may flee.(AJ) 14 If a person schemes and willfully[k] acts against his neighbor to murder him, you must take him from My altar to be put to death.(AK)
15 “Whoever strikes his father or his mother must be put to death.
16 “Whoever kidnaps a person must be put to death, whether he sells him or the person is found in his possession.(AL)
17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother must be put to death.(AM)
18 “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or his fist, and the injured man does not die but is confined to bed, 19 if he can later get up and walk around outside leaning on his staff, then the one who struck him will be exempt from punishment. Nevertheless, he must pay for his lost work time[l] and provide for his complete recovery.
20 “When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies under his abuse,[m] the owner must be punished.[n] 21 However, if the slave can stand up after a day or two, the owner should not be punished[o] because he is his owner’s property.[p](AN)
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven from people. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in.(A)
[14 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses and make long prayers just for show.[a] This is why you will receive a harsher punishment.][b]
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one proselyte,(B) and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell[c] as you are!
16 “Woe to you, blind guides,(C) who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the sanctuary, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath(D) by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by his oath.’[d] 17 Blind fools![e] For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that sanctified the gold? 18 Also, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.’[f] 19 Blind people![g] For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?(E) 20 Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it. 21 The one who takes an oath by the sanctuary takes an oath by it and by Him who dwells(F) in it. 22 And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God’s throne(G) and by Him who sits on it.(H)
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of[h] mint, dill, and cumin,[i] yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice,(I) mercy, and faith. These things should have been done without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides!(J) You strain out a gnat, yet gulp down a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed[j] and self-indulgence!(K) 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,[k] so the outside of it[l] may also become clean.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,(L) which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity. 28 In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’[m] 31 You, therefore, testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ sins
33 “Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?[o](N) 34 This is why I am sending you prophets,(O) sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues(P) and hound from town to town. 35 So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you,[p] from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah,(Q) son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.(R) 36 I assure you: All these things will come on this generation!(S)
Jesus’ Lamentation over Jerusalem
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem!(T) She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks[q] under her wings, yet you were not willing!(U) 38 See, your house is left to you desolate.(V) 39 For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One’!”(W)[r]
Psalm 28
My Strength
Davidic.
1 Lord, I call to You;
my rock, do not be deaf to me.(A)
If You remain silent to me,
I will be like those going down to the Pit.(B)
2 Listen to the sound of my pleading
when I cry to You for help,
when I lift up my hands
toward Your holy sanctuary.(C)
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with the evildoers,
who speak in friendly ways with their neighbors
while malice is in their hearts.(D)
4 Repay them according to what they have done—
according to the evil of their deeds.
Repay them according to the work of their hands;
give them back what they deserve.(E)
5 Because they do not consider
what the Lord has done
or the work of His hands,
He will tear them down and not rebuild them.(F)
7 My son, obey my words,
and treasure my commands.(A)
2 Keep my commands and live;(B)
protect my teachings
as the pupil of your eye.(C)
3 Tie them to your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.(D)
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”(E)
and call understanding your relative.
5 She will keep you from a forbidden woman,
a stranger with her flattering talk.(F)
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