Book Two

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil^[a] of ^(A)the Sons of Korah.

⁹ And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you ^(A)in a thick cloud, that ^(B)the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also ^(C)believe you forever.”

When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, ¹⁰ the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and ^(D)consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them ^(E)wash their garments ¹¹ and be ready for the third day. For on the third day ^(F)the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹² And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. ^(G)Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. ¹³ No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot;^[a] whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When ^(H)the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” ¹⁴ So Moses ^(I)went down from the mountain to the people and ^(J)consecrated the people; ^(K)and they washed their garments. ¹⁵ And he said to the people, “Be ready for the ^(L)third day; ^(M)do not go near a woman.”

¹⁶ On the morning of the ^(N)third day there were ^(O)thunders and lightnings and ^(P)a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud ^(Q)trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp ^(R)trembled. ¹⁷ Then ^(S)Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Now ^(T)Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and ^(U)the whole mountain trembled greatly. ¹⁹ And as the ^(V)sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and ^(W)God answered him in thunder. ²⁰ The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to 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 to the Lord ^(X)to look and many of them perish. ²² Also let the priests who come near to the Lord ^(Y)consecrate themselves, lest the Lord ^(Z)break out against them.” ²³ And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ^(AA)‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’” ²⁴ And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people ^(AB)break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

^2 (A)And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus ^(B)saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ^(C)“Take heart, my son; ^(D)your sins are forgiven.” ³ And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, ^(E)“This man is blaspheming.” ⁴ But Jesus, ^(F)knowing^[a] their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵ For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? ⁶ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” ⁷ And he rose and went home. ⁸ When the crowds saw it, ^(G)they were afraid, and ^(H)they glorified God, who had ^(I)given such authority to men.