Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 110
The Priestly King
A Davidic psalm.
1 This is the declaration of the Lord
to my Lord:
“Sit at My right hand
until I make Your enemies Your footstool.”(A)
2 The Lord will extend Your mighty scepter from Zion.
Rule[a] over Your surrounding[b] enemies.(B)
3 Your people will volunteer
on Your day of battle.[c](C)
In holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn,
the dew of Your youth belongs to You.[d](D)
4 The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back:
“Forever, You are a priest
like Melchizedek.”(E)
7 After Moses came back, he summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 Then all the people responded together, “We will do all that the Lord has spoken.”(A) So Moses brought the people’s words back to the Lord.
9 The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud,(B) so that the people will hear when I speak(C) with you and will always believe you.” Then Moses reported the people’s words to the Lord. 10 And the Lord told Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes(D) 11 and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.(E) 12 Put boundaries for the people all around the mountain and say: Be careful that you don’t go up on the mountain or touch its base. Anyone who touches the mountain will be put to death.(F) 13 No hand may touch him; instead he will be stoned or shot with arrows. No animal or man will live. When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they may go up the mountain.”
14 Then Moses came down from the mountain to the people and consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15 He said to the people, “Be prepared by the third day. Do not have sexual relations with women.”
16 On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a loud trumpet sound, so that all the people in the camp shuddered. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord came down on it in fire.(G) Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace,(H) and the whole mountain shook violently.(I) 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.(J)
20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai at the top of the mountain. Then the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and he went up. 21 The Lord directed Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise many of them will die.(K) 22 Even the priests who come near the Lord must purify themselves or the Lord will break out in anger against them.”(L)
23 But Moses responded to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, since You warned us: Put a boundary around the mountain and consider it holy.” 24 And the Lord replied to him, “Go down and come back with Aaron. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the Lord, or He will break out in anger against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.
Warning against Neglect
2 We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding[a](A) and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment,(B) 3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.(C) 4 At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to His will.(D)
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