Book of Common Prayer

¹² Stretch forth therefore again the hands that were let down, and the weak knees, ¹³ and see that you have straight steps for your feet, lest any limping turn you out of the way; yea let it rather be healed. ¹⁴ Embrace peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

¹⁵ And see to it that no one be destitute of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness spring up and cause trouble, and thereby many be defiled; ¹⁶ and that there be no fornicator or unclean person like Esau, who for one breakfast sold his birthright. ¹⁷ You know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was put by, and he found no means to come by it again; no, though he sought it with tears.

¹⁸ For you have not come to the mount that can be touched, and to burning fire, nor yet to mist and darkness and tempest of weather, ¹⁹ neither to the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, which voice the people that heard it wished away so that the message would not be spoken to them. ²⁰ For they were not able to abide that which was spoken. If a beast had touched the mountain, it was to have been stoned or thrust through with a dart. ²¹ Even so terrible was the sight that appeared, Moses said, I fear and quake!

²² But you have come to the mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the celestial Jerusalem, and to an innumerable multitude of angels, ²³ and to the congregation of the first born sons, whose names are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just and perfect, ²⁴ and to Jesus, the mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood that speaks better than the blood of Abel.

²⁵ See that you do not forsake him that speaks. For if they did not escape who refused him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven – ²⁶ whose voice then shook the earth, and who now declares, saying: Yet once more will I shake, not the earth only, but also heaven.

²⁷ No doubt this that he says – yet once more – signifies the removal of those things that are shaken, as of things that have ended their course, so that the things which are not shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, if we receive the kingdom that is not shaken, we have grace whereby we may serve God, and please him with reverence and godly fear. ²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire.

¹⁴ Midway through the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught. ¹⁵ And the Jews marvelled, saying, How does he know the scriptures, seeing that he was never taught?

¹⁶ Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his who sent me. ¹⁷ If any person desires to do his will, he will know concerning the doctrine, whether it is of God or whether I speak of myself. ¹⁸ He who speaks of himself seeks his own glory. But he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him, such a person is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. ¹⁹ Did not Moses give you a law? And yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you going about to kill me?

  ²⁰ The people answered and said, You have a devil. Who is going about to kill you?

²¹ Jesus answered and said to them, I have done one work, and you are all troubled. ²² Moses gave you circumcision, not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers. And yet you on the Sabbath day circumcise a man. ²³ If a man on the Sabbath day may receive circumcision without breaking the law of Moses, do you take offence at me because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day? ²⁴ Do not judge according to the outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.

²⁵ Then some of the people of Jerusalem said, Is this not the man they are going about to kill? ²⁶ Look, he speaks boldly, but they say nothing to him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? ²⁷ But we know this man, where he is from, and when Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.

²⁸ Then Jesus cried out in the temple as he taught, saying, You know me; and where I am from, you know. And yet I am not come of myself, but he who sent me is true, whom you do not know. ²⁹ I know him, for I am of him, and he has sent me.

³⁰ Then they would have apprehended him, but no man laid hands on him, because his time was not yet come. ³¹ Many of the people believed on him and said, When Christ comes, will he do more miracles than this man has done?

³² The Pharisees heard that the people rumoured such things about him. So then the Pharisees and high priests sent officers forth to seize him. ³³ Then Jesus said to them, Yet a little while I am with you, and then I go to him who sent me. ³⁴ You will seek me, and will not find me; and where I am, there you cannot come.

³⁵ Then the Jews said between themselves, Where will he go, that we will not find him? Will he go among the Gentiles, who are scattered all abroad, and teach the Gentiles? ³⁶ What manner of saying is this that he said: You will seek me, and will not find me, and where I am, there you cannot come?