Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Sit at My Right Hand

A Psalm of David.

⁷ So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. ^8 (A)All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. ⁹ And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you ^(B)in a thick cloud, that ^(C)the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also ^(D)believe you for ever.”

When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, ¹⁰ the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and ^(E)consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them ^(F)wash their garments ¹¹ and be ready for the third day. For on the third day ^(G)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 round, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. ^(H)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 ^(I)the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” ¹⁴ So Moses ^(J)went down from the mountain to the people and ^(K)consecrated the people; ^(L)and they washed their garments. ¹⁵ And he said to the people, “Be ready for the ^(M)third day; ^(N)do not go near a woman.”

¹⁶ On the morning of the ^(O)third day there were ^(P)thunders and lightnings and ^(Q)a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud ^(R)trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp ^(S)trembled. ¹⁷ Then ^(T)Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Now ^(U)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 ^(V)the whole mountain trembled greatly. ¹⁹ And as the ^(W)sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and ^(X)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 ^(Y)to look and many of them perish. ²² Also let the priests who come near to the Lord ^(Z)consecrate themselves, lest the Lord ^(AA)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, ^(AB)‘Set limits round 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 ^(AC)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.

Warning Against Neglecting Salvation

2 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. ² For since ^(A)the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and ^(B)every transgression or disobedience received a just ^(C)retribution, ^3 (D)how shall we escape if we ^(E)neglect such a great salvation? It was ^(F)declared at first by the Lord, and it was ^(G)attested to us ^(H)by those who heard, ^4 (I)while God also bore witness ^(J)by signs and wonders and various miracles and by ^(K)gifts of the Holy Spirit ^(L)distributed according to his will.