A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

¹⁸ For you have not come to ^(A)what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest ¹⁹ and ^(B)the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words ^(C)made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.

²² But you have come to ^(A)Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, ^(B)the heavenly Jerusalem, and to ^(C)innumerable angels in festal gathering, ²³ and to ^(D)the assembly^[a] of the firstborn who are ^(E)enrolled in heaven, and to ^(F)God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ and to Jesus, ^(G)the mediator of a new covenant, and to ^(H)the sprinkled blood ^(I)that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

²⁵ See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For ^(J)if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. ²⁶ At that time ^(K)his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ^(L)“Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” ²⁷ This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates ^(M)the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore let us be grateful for receiving ^(N)a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus ^(O)let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our ^(P)God is a consuming fire.

The Narrow Door

^22 (A)He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and ^(B)journeying toward Jerusalem. ²³ And someone said to him, “Lord, ^(C)will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, ^24 (D)“Strive ^(E)to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. ^25 (F)When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ^(G)‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ^(H)‘I do not know where you come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will begin to say, ^(I)‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ But he will say, ‘I tell you, ^(J)I do not know where you come from. ^(K)Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ ^28 (L)In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see ^(M)Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but ^(N)you yourselves cast out. ²⁹ And ^(O)people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and ^(P)recline at table in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ And behold, ^(Q)some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”