Praise to the Lord for His Faithfulness to Israel.

Praise for Jerusalem’s Restoration and Prosperity.

^16 (A)So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were ^[a]thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud over the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the ^[b]foot of the mountain.

The Lord Visits Sinai

^18 (B)Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it ^(C)in fire; and its smoke ascended like ^(D)the smoke of a furnace, and ^(E)the entire mountain ^[c]quaked violently. ¹⁹ When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and ^(F)God answered him with ^[d]thunder. ²⁰ Then ^(G)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 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “Go down, ^[e]warn the people, so that ^(H)they do not break through to the Lord to stare, and many of them ^[f]perish. ²² Also have the ^(I)priests who approach the Lord consecrate themselves, or else the Lord will break out against them.” ²³ And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You ^[g]warned us, saying, ‘^(J)Set boundaries around the mountain and consecrate it.’” ²⁴ Then the Lord said to him, “^[h]Go down and come up again, ^(K)you and Aaron with you; but do not let the ^(L)priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, or He will break out against them.” ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

^15 [a]He is the ^(A)image of the ^(B)invisible God, the ^(C)firstborn of all creation: ¹⁶ for ^[b](D)by Him all things were created, ^(E)both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^(F)thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—^(G)all things have been created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ He ^[c](H)is before all things, and in Him all things ^[d]hold together. ¹⁸ He is also the ^(I)head of ^(J)the body, the church; and He is ^(K)the beginning, ^(L)the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹ For ^[e]it was ^(M)the Father’s good pleasure for all ^(N)the ^[f]fullness to dwell in Him, ²⁰ and through Him to ^(O)reconcile all things to Himself, ^(P)whether things on earth or things in ^[g]heaven, having made ^(Q)peace through ^(R)the blood of His cross.

²¹ And although you were ^(S)previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, ²² yet He has now ^(T)reconciled you in His ^(U)body of flesh through death, in order to ^(V)present you before Him ^(W)holy and blameless and beyond reproach— ²³ if indeed you continue in ^[h]the faith firmly ^(X)established and steadfast, and not shifting from the ^(Y)hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed ^(Z)in all creation under heaven, ^(AA)and of which I, Paul, ^[i]was made a ^[j](AB)minister.

The Baptism of Jesus

^13 (A)Then Jesus *arrived ^(B)from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us ^(C)to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he *allowed Him. ¹⁶ After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and ^[a](D)he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and ^[b]settling on Him, ¹⁷ and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “^(E)This is ^[c]My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”