Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

ז ZAYIN

²² “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And ^(A)He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

The People Afraid of God’s Presence^(B)

^23 (C)“So it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. ²⁴ And you said: ‘Surely the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and ^(D)we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he ^(E)still lives. ²⁵ Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; ^(F)if we hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore, then we shall die. ^26 (G)For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? ²⁷ You go near and hear all that the Lord our God may say, and ^(H)tell us all that the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.’

²⁸ “Then the Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. ^(I)They are right in all that they have spoken. ^29 (J)Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and ^(K)always keep all My commandments, ^(L)that it might be well with them and with their children forever! ³⁰ Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” ³¹ But as for you, stand here by Me, ^(M)and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I am giving them to possess.’

³² “Therefore you shall ^[a]be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; ^(N)you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. ³³ You shall walk in ^(O)all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live ^(P)and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.

The Greatest Commandment

6 “Now this is ^(Q)the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, ^2 (R)that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, ^(S)and that your days may be prolonged. ³ Therefore hear, O Israel, and ^[b]be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may ^(T)multiply greatly ^(U)as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—^(V)‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone ^(A)is in Christ, he is ^(B)a new creation; ^(C)old things have passed away; behold, all things have become ^(D)new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, ^(E)who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that ^(F)God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not ^[a]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Now then, we are ^(G)ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For ^(H)He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become ^(I)the righteousness of God in Him.