Add parallel Print Page Options

13 “You came down at Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and instructions that were just, and decrees and commands that were good.

Read full chapter

13 “You came down on Mount Sinai;(A) you spoke(B) to them from heaven.(C) You gave them regulations and laws that are just(D) and right, and decrees and commands that are good.(E)

Read full chapter

160 The very essence of your words is truth;
    all your just regulations will stand forever.

Read full chapter

160 All your words are true;
    all your righteous laws are eternal.(A)

Read full chapter

Ten Commandments for the Covenant Community

20 Then God gave the people all these instructions[a]:

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 20:1 Hebrew all these words.

The Ten Commandments(A)

20 And God spoke(B) all these words:(C)

Read full chapter

127 Truly, I love your commands
    more than gold, even the finest gold.
128 Each of your commandments is right.
    That is why I hate every false way.

Read full chapter

127 Because I love your commands(A)
    more than gold,(B) more than pure gold,(C)
128 and because I consider all your precepts right,(D)
    I hate every wrong path.(E)

Read full chapter

11 Be sure they are ready on the third day, for on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai as all the people watch.

Read full chapter

11 and be ready by the third day,(A) because on that day the Lord will come down(B) on Mount Sinai(C) in the sight of all the people.

Read full chapter

12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.

Struggling with Sin

14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.

Read full chapter

12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.(A)

13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good(B) to bring about my death,(C) so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,(D) sold(E) as a slave to sin.(F)

Read full chapter

11 There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them. 12 And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I am the Lord, who had set them apart to be holy.

13 “But the people of Israel rebelled against me, and they refused to obey my decrees there in the wilderness. They wouldn’t obey my regulations even though obedience would have given them life. They also violated my Sabbath days. So I threatened to pour out my fury on them, and I made plans to utterly consume them in the wilderness.

Read full chapter

11 I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.(A) 12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths(B) as a sign(C) between us,(D) so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.(E)

13 “‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled(F) against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws(G)—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths.(H) So I said I would pour out my wrath(I) on them and destroy(J) them in the wilderness.(K)

Read full chapter

The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
    reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
The commandments of the Lord are right,
    bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
    giving insight for living.
Reverence for the Lord is pure,
    lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
    each one is fair.
10 They are more desirable than gold,
    even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even honey dripping from the comb.
11 They are a warning to your servant,
    a great reward for those who obey them.

Read full chapter

The law of the Lord(A) is perfect,(B)
    refreshing the soul.(C)
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,(D)
    making wise the simple.(E)
The precepts of the Lord are right,(F)
    giving joy(G) to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.(H)
The fear of the Lord(I) is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.(J)

10 They are more precious than gold,(K)
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,(L)
    than honey from the honeycomb.(M)
11 By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.

Read full chapter

22 “The Lord spoke these words to all of you assembled there at the foot of the mountain. He spoke with a loud voice from the heart of the fire, surrounded by clouds and deep darkness. This was all he said at that time, and he wrote his words on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

23 “But when you heard the voice from the heart of the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, all your tribal leaders and elders came to me. 24 They said, ‘Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the heart of the fire. Today we have seen that God can speak to us humans, and yet we live! 25 But now, why should we risk death again? If the Lord our God speaks to us again, we will certainly die and be consumed by this awesome fire. 26 Can any living thing hear the voice of the living God from the heart of the fire as we did and yet survive?

Read full chapter

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)

Read full chapter

16 On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. 17 Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. 19 As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply. 20 The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain.

Read full chapter

16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder(A) and lightning, with a thick cloud(B) over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.(C) Everyone in the camp trembled.(D) 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.(E) 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke,(F) because the Lord descended on it in fire.(G) The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,(H) and the whole mountain[a] trembled(I) violently. 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice(J) of God answered(K) him.[b]

20 The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai(L) and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 19:18 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint and all the people
  2. Exodus 19:19 Or and God answered him with thunder

18 You have not come to a physical mountain,[a] to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. 19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”[b] 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”[c]

22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23 You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.

25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! 26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”[d]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 12:18 Greek to something that can be touched.
  2. 12:20 Exod 19:13.
  3. 12:21 Deut 9:19.
  4. 12:26 Hag 2:6.

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) 19 to a trumpet blast(B) or to such a voice speaking words(C) that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them,(D) 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”[a](E) 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”[b](F)

22 But you have come to Mount Zion,(G) to the city(H) of the living God,(I) the heavenly Jerusalem.(J) You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn,(K) whose names are written in heaven.(L) You have come to God, the Judge of all,(M) to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,(N) 24 to Jesus the mediator(O) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood(P) that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.(Q)

25 See to it that you do not refuse(R) him who speaks.(S) If they did not escape when they refused him who warned(T) them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?(U) 26 At that time his voice shook the earth,(V) but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”[c](W)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 12:20 Exodus 19:12,13
  2. Hebrews 12:21 See Deut. 9:19.
  3. Hebrews 12:26 Haggai 2:6

16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.

Read full chapter

16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.(A)

Read full chapter

I see God moving across the deserts from Edom,[a]
    the Holy One coming from Mount Paran.[b]
His brilliant splendor fills the heavens,
    and the earth is filled with his praise.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 3:3a Hebrew Teman.
  2. 3:3b Hebrew adds selah; also in 3:9, 13. The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain; it is probably a musical or literary term.

God came from Teman,(A)
    the Holy One(B) from Mount Paran.[a](C)
His glory covered the heavens(D)
    and his praise filled the earth.(E)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Habakkuk 3:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the middle of verse 9 and at the end of verse 13.