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Exodus 19

Arrival at Sinai.

1^a In the third month after the Israelites’ departure from the land of Egypt, on the first day, they came to the wilderness of Sinai.

2After they made the journey from Rephidim and entered the wilderness of Sinai, they then pitched camp in the wilderness.^*

While Israel was encamped there in front of the mountain,

3Moses went up to the mountain of God. Then the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying: This is what you will say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites:

4You have seen how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.^b

5Now, if you obey me completely and keep my covenant,^* you will be my treasured possession among all peoples,^c though all the earth is mine.

6You will be to me a kingdom of priests,^* a holy nation.^d That is what you must tell the Israelites.

7So Moses went and summoned the elders of the people. When he set before them all that the LORD had ordered him to tell them,

8all the people answered together, “Everything the LORD has said, we will do.” Then Moses brought back to the LORD the response of the people.

9The LORD said to Moses: I am coming to you now in a dense cloud,^e so that when the people hear me speaking with you, they will also remain faithful to you.

When Moses, then, had reported the response of the people to the LORD,

10the LORD said to Moses: Go to the people and have them sanctify themselves today and tomorrow. Have them wash their garments

11and be ready for the third day; for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

12Set limits for the people all around,^f saying: Take care not to go up the mountain, or even to touch its edge. All who touch the mountain must be put to death.

13No hand shall touch them, but they must be stoned to death or killed with arrows. Whether human being or beast, they must not be allowed to live. Only when the ram’s horn sounds may they go up on the mountain.^*

14Then Moses came down from the mountain to the people and had them sanctify themselves, and they washed their garments.

15He said to the people, “Be ready for the third day. Do not approach a woman.”

The Great Theophany.

16^g On the morning of the third day there were peals of thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud blast of the shofar,^* so that all the people in the camp trembled.

17But Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stationed themselves at the foot of the mountain.

18Now Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had come down upon it in fire. The smoke rose from it as though from a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently.

19The blast of the shofar grew louder and louder, while Moses was speaking and God was answering him with thunder.

20^* When the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, the LORD summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

21Then the LORD told Moses: Go down and warn the people not to break through to the LORD in order to see him; otherwise many of them will be struck down.

22For their part, the priests, who approach the LORD must sanctify themselves; else the LORD will break out in anger against them.

23But Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot go up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying: Set limits around the mountain to make it sacred.”

24So the LORD said to him: Go down and come up along with Aaron. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD; else he will break out against them.”

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

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Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments.^*

1Then God spoke all these words:

2^a I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,^b out of the house of slavery.

3You shall not have other gods beside me.^*

4You shall not make for yourself an idol^c or a likeness of anything^* in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth;

5you shall not bow down before them or serve them.^d For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their ancestors’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation^*;

6but showing love down to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7You shall not invoke the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.^{* e} For the LORD will not leave unpunished anyone who invokes his name in vain.

8Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy.^*

9Six days you may labor and do all your work,

10but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.^f You shall not do any work, either you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your work animal, or the resident alien within your gates.

11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested.^g That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.^*

12^{* h} Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.ⁱ

13You shall not kill.^{* j}

14You shall not commit adultery.^k

15You shall not steal.^l

16You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.^m

17You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.ⁿ

Moses Accepted as Mediator.

18Now as all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blast of the shofar and the mountain smoking, they became afraid and trembled.^o So they took up a position farther away

19and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we shall die.”

20Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid, for God has come only to test you and put the fear of him upon you so you do not sin.”

21So the people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.

The Covenant Code.

22^* The LORD said to Moses: This is what you will say to the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven.

23You shall not make alongside of me gods of silver, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.^p

24An altar of earth make for me, and sacrifice upon it your burnt offerings and communion sacrifices, your sheep and your oxen.^q In every place where I cause my name to be invoked^* I will come to you and bless you.

25But if you make an altar of stone for me,^r do not build it of cut stone, for by putting a chisel to it you profane it.

26You shall not ascend to my altar by steps, lest your nakedness be exposed.

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Mark 11 :15-33

Cleansing of the Temple.^*

15They came to Jerusalem,^e and on entering the temple area he began to drive out those selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.

16He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area.

17Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written:

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples’?

But you have made it a den of thieves.”^f

18The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it and were seeking a way to put him to death, yet they feared him because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.

19When evening came, they went out of the city.^g

The Withered Fig Tree.

20^h Early in the morning, as they were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots.

21Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”

22Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God.

23Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him.ⁱ

24Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.^j

25When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”^k

[26]^*

The Authority of Jesus Questioned.^*

27They returned once more to Jerusalem.^l As he was walking in the temple area, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders approached him

28and said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?”

29Jesus said to them, “I shall ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.”

31They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘[Then] why did you not believe him?’

32But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”—they feared the crowd, for they all thought John really was a prophet.

33So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” Then Jesus said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

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