The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy

¹⁸ You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;^(A)

¹¹ You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain^(A) while it blazed with fire^(B) to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.^(C)

¹⁷ To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire^(A) on top of the mountain.

¹⁸ When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet^(A) and saw the mountain in smoke,^(B) they trembled with fear.^(C) They stayed at a distance

⁷ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid,^(A) but gives us power,^(B) love and self-discipline.

⁹ If the ministry that brought condemnation^(A) was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!^(B)

¹⁵ The Spirit^(A) you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;^(B) rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[b] Father.”^(C)

¹⁴ For sin shall no longer be your master,^(A) because you are not under the law,^(B) but under grace.^(C)

²² These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness;^(A) and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets^(B) and gave them to me.

²³ When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders^(C) came to me. ²⁴ And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us^(D) his glory and his majesty,^(E) and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them.^{(F) 25} But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.^{(G) 26} For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?^(H)