⁷ Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, ^(A)“All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”

³ Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and ^(A)all the rules.^[a] And all the people answered with one voice and said, ^(B)“All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” ⁴ And ^(C)Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve ^(D)pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

¹⁸ Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated ^(A)without blood. ¹⁹ For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took ^(B)the blood of calves and goats, ^(C)with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, ^(D)“This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” ²¹ And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both ^(E)the tent and all the vessels used in worship. ²² Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and ^(F)without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

²³ Thus it was necessary for ^(G)the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

²⁷ I put you under oath before the Lord to have ^(A)this letter read to all the brothers.

¹⁶ And when ^(A)this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.

¹⁵ After ^(A)the reading from ^(B)the Law and the Prophets, ^(C)the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any ^(D)word of encouragement for the people, say it.”

²³ But this command I gave them: ^(A)‘Obey my voice, and ^(B)I will be your God, and you shall be my people. ^(C)And walk in all the way that I command you, ^(D)that it may be well with you.’ ^24 (E)But they did not obey or incline their ear, ^(F)but walked in their own counsels and ^(G)the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and ^(H)went backward and not forward.

¹¹ when all Israel comes ^(A)to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, ^(B)you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. ^12 (C)Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, ¹³ and that their children, ^(D)who have not known it, ^(E)may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, ^(F)as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”