Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A psalm of David.

⁷ So Moses went back. He sent for the elders of the people. He explained to them everything the Lord had commanded him to say. ⁸ All the people answered together. They said, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

⁹ The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “I am going to come to you in a thick cloud. The people will hear me speaking with you. They will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.

¹⁰ The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people. Today and tomorrow set them apart for me. Have them wash their clothes. ¹¹ Have the people ready by the third day. On that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai. Everyone will see it. ¹² Put limits for the people around the mountain. Tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not go near the mountain. Do not even touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain must be put to death. ¹³ Do not lay a hand on any of them. Kill them with stones or shoot them with arrows. Whether they are people or animals, do not let them live.’ They may go near the mountain only when the ram’s horn gives out a long blast.”

¹⁴ Moses went down the mountain to the people. After he set them apart for the Lord, they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ Then he spoke to the people. He said, “Get ready for the third day. Don’t have sex.”

¹⁶ On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud covered the mountain. A trumpet gave out a very loud blast. Everyone in the camp trembled with fear. ¹⁷ Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God. They stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Smoke covered Mount Sinai, because the Lord came down on it in fire. The smoke rose up from it like smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain trembled and shook. ¹⁹ The sound of the trumpet got louder and louder. Then Moses spoke. And the voice of God answered him.

²⁰ The Lord came down to the top of Mount Sinai. He told Moses to come to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up. ²¹ The Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people. They must not force their way through to see the Lord. If they do, many of them will die. ²² The priests approach the Lord when they serve him. But even they must set themselves apart for the Lord. If they do not, his anger will break out against them.”

²³ Moses said to the Lord, “The people can’t come up Mount Sinai. You yourself warned us. You said, ‘Put limits around the mountain. Set it apart as holy.’ ”

²⁴ The Lord replied, “Go down. Bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through. They must not come up to the Lord. If they do, his anger will break out against them.”

²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

A Warning to Pay Attention

2 So we must pay the most careful attention to what we have heard. Then we will not drift away from it. ² Even the message God spoke through angels had to be obeyed. Every time people broke the Law, they were punished. Every time they didn’t obey, they were punished. ³ Then how will we escape if we don’t pay attention to God’s great salvation? The Lord first announced this salvation. Those who heard him gave us the message about it. ⁴ God showed that this message is true by signs and wonders. He showed that it’s true by different kinds of miracles. God also showed that this message is true by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. God gave them out as it pleased him.