Israel at Mount Sinai

19 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, ^(A)they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. ² For they had departed from ^(B)Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before ^(C)the mountain.

³ And ^(D)Moses went up to God, and the Lord ^(E)called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ^4 (F)‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how ^(G)I ^[a]bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. ⁵ Now ^(H)therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and ^(I)keep My covenant, then ^(J)you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is ^(K)Mine. ⁶ And you shall be to Me a ^(L)kingdom of priests and a ^(M)holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

⁷ So Moses came and called for the ^(N)elders of the people, and ^[b]laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. ⁸ Then ^(O)all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. ⁹ And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you ^(P)in the thick cloud, ^(Q)that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.”

So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

¹⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and ^(R)consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. ¹¹ And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹² You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. ^(S)Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ¹³ Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.”

¹⁴ So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; ^(T)do not come near your wives.”

¹⁶ Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were ^(U)thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp ^(V)trembled. ¹⁷ And ^(W)Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Now ^(X)Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon ^(Y)it in fire. ^(Z)Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and ^[c]the ^(AA)whole mountain quaked greatly. ¹⁹ And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, ^(AB)Moses spoke, and ^(AC)God answered him by voice. ²⁰ Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

²¹ And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through ^(AD)to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. ²² Also let the ^(AE)priests who come near the Lord ^(AF)consecrate themselves, lest the Lord ^(AG)break out against them.”

²³ But Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, ^(AH)‘Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ”

²⁴ Then the Lord said to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them.” ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

The Ten Commandments^(AI)

20 And God spoke ^(AJ)all these words, saying:

The People Afraid of God’s Presence

¹⁸ Now ^(BI)all the people ^(BJ)witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain ^(BK)smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. ¹⁹ Then they said to Moses, ^(BL)“You speak with us, and we will hear; but ^(BM)let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

²⁰ And Moses said to the people, ^(BN)“Do not fear; ^(BO)for God has come to test you, and ^(BP)that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” ²¹ So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near ^(BQ)the thick darkness where God was.

The Law of the Altar

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you ^(BR)from heaven. ²³ You shall not make anything to be ^(BS)with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. ²⁴ An altar of ^(BT)earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, ^(BU)your sheep and your oxen. In every ^(BV)place where I ^[g]record My name I will come to you, and I will ^(BW)bless you. ²⁵ And ^(BX)if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you ^(BY)use your tool on it, you have profaned it. ²⁶ Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your ^(BZ)nakedness may not be exposed on it.’

The Law Concerning Servants^(CA)

21 “Now these are the ^[h]judgments which you shall ^(CB)set before them: ^2 (CC)If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing. ³ If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. ⁴ If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. ^5 (CD)But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ ⁶ then his master shall bring him to the ^(CE)judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

⁷ “And if a man ^(CF)sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. ⁸ If she ^[i]does not please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her. ⁹ And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters. ¹⁰ If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, ^(CG)and her marriage rights. ¹¹ And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free, without paying money.

The Law Concerning Violence

^12 (CH)“He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. ¹³ However, ^(CI)if he did not lie in wait, but God ^(CJ)delivered him into his hand, then ^(CK)I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.

¹⁴ “But if a man acts with ^(CL)premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, ^(CM)you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.

¹⁵ “And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

^16 (CN)“He who kidnaps a man and ^(CO)sells him, or if he is ^(CP)found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.

¹⁷ “And ^(CQ)he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

¹⁸ “If men contend with each other, and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but is confined to his bed, ¹⁹ if he rises again and walks about outside ^(CR)with his staff, then he who struck him shall be ^[j]acquitted. He shall only pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for him to be thoroughly healed.

²⁰ “And if a man beats his male or female servant with a rod, so that he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished. ²¹ Notwithstanding, if he remains alive a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his ^(CS)property.

²² “If men ^[k]fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that ^[l]she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall ^(CT)pay as the judges determine. ²³ But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, ^24 (CU)eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, ²⁵ burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

²⁶ “If a man strikes the eye of his male or female servant, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for the sake of his eye. ²⁷ And if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall let him go free for the sake of his tooth.

Animal Control Laws

²⁸ “If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then ^(CV)the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be ^[m]acquitted. ²⁹ But if the ox ^[n]tended to thrust with its horn in times past, and it has been made known to his owner, and he has not kept it confined, so that it has killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death. ³⁰ If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay ^(CW)to redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him. ³¹ Whether it has gored a son or gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him. ³² If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master ^(CX)thirty shekels of silver, and the ^(CY)ox shall be stoned.

³³ “And if a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in it, ³⁴ the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money to their owner, but the dead animal shall be his.

³⁵ “If one man’s ox hurts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the money from it; and the dead ox they shall also divide. ³⁶ Or if it was known that the ox tended to thrust in time past, and its owner has not kept it confined, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall be his own.

The Plot to Kill Jesus^(A)

22 Now ^(B)the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. ² And ^(C)the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.

^3 (D)Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the ^(E)twelve. ⁴ So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. ⁵ And they were glad, and ^(F)agreed to give him money. ⁶ So he promised and sought opportunity to ^(G)betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.

Jesus and His Disciples Prepare the Passover

^7 (H)Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be ^[a]killed. ⁸ And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.”

⁹ So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?”

¹⁰ And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. ¹¹ Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ ¹² Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.”

¹³ So they went and ^(I)found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

^14 (J)When the hour had come, He sat down, and the ^[b]twelve apostles with Him. ¹⁵ Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; ¹⁶ for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it ^(K)until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

¹⁷ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; ¹⁸ for ^(L)I say to you, ^[c]I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

^19 (M)And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My ^(N)body which is given for you; ^(O)do this in remembrance of Me.”

²⁰ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ^(P)“This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. ^21 (Q)But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table. ^22 (R)And truly the Son of Man goes ^(S)as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

^23 (T)Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.

The Disciples Argue About Greatness

^24 (U)Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. ^25 (V)And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ ^26 (W)But not so among you; on the contrary, ^(X)he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. ^27 (Y)For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet ^(Z)I am among you as the One who serves.

²⁸ “But you are those who have continued with Me in ^(AA)My trials. ²⁹ And ^(AB)I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, ³⁰ that ^(AC)you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, ^(AD)and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial^(AE)

^31 [d]And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, ^(AF)Satan has asked for you, that he may ^(AG)sift you as wheat. ³² But ^(AH)I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, ^(AI)strengthen your brethren.”

³³ But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”

^34 (AJ)Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”

Supplies for the Road

^35 (AK)And He said to them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?”

So they said, “Nothing.”

³⁶ Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. ³⁷ For I say to you that this which is written must still be ^[e]accomplished in Me: ^(AL)‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.”

³⁸ So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.”

And He said to them, “It is enough.”

The Prayer in the Garden^(AM)

^39 (AN)Coming out, ^(AO)He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. ^40 (AP)When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

^41 (AQ)And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, ⁴² saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless ^(AR)not My will, but Yours, be done.” ^43 [f]Then ^(AS)an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. ^44 (AT)And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

⁴⁵ When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. ⁴⁶ Then He said to them, “Why ^(AU)do you sleep? Rise and ^(AV)pray, lest you enter into temptation.”

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane^(AW)

⁴⁷ And while He was still speaking, ^(AX)behold, a multitude; and he who was called ^(AY)Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. ⁴⁸ But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a ^(AZ)kiss?”

⁴⁹ When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” ⁵⁰ And ^(BA)one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

⁵¹ But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.

^52 (BB)Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, “Have you come out, as against a ^(BC)robber, with swords and clubs? ⁵³ When I was with you daily in the ^(BD)temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your ^(BE)hour, and the power of darkness.”

Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps Bitterly^(BF)

^54 (BG)Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. ^(BH)But Peter followed at a distance. ^55 (BI)Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. ⁵⁶ And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.”

⁵⁷ But he denied ^[g]Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”

^58 (BJ)And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.”

But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

^59 (BK)Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a ^(BL)Galilean.”

⁶⁰ But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!”

Immediately, while he was still speaking, ^[h]the rooster crowed. ⁶¹ And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then ^(BM)Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, ^(BN)“Before the rooster ^[i]crows, you will deny Me three times.” ⁶² So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Mocked and Beaten^(BO)

^63 (BP)Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and ^(BQ)beat Him. ^64 [j]And having blindfolded Him, they ^(BR)struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?” ⁶⁵ And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin^(BS)

^66 (BT)As soon as it was day, ^(BU)the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, ^67 (BV)“If You are the Christ, tell us.”

But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will ^(BW)by no means believe. ⁶⁸ And if I ^[k]also ask you, you will by no means answer ^[l]Me or let Me go. ^69 (BX)Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.”

⁷⁰ Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?”

So He said to them, ^(BY)“You rightly say that I am.”

^71 (BZ)And they said, “What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”