33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath^(A) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’^{(B) 2} I will send an angel^(C) before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.^{(D) 3} Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey.^(E) But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked^(F) people and I might destroy^(G) you on the way.”

⁴ When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn^(H) and no one put on any ornaments. ⁵ For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people.^(I) If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy^(J) you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’” ⁶ So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.^(K)

The Tent of Meeting

⁷ Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.”^(L) Anyone inquiring^(M) of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. ⁸ And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents,^(N) watching Moses until he entered the tent. ⁹ As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud^(O) would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke^(P) with Moses. ¹⁰ Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent.^{(Q) 11} The Lord would speak to Moses face to face,^(R) as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua^(S) son of Nun did not leave the tent.

Moses and the Glory of the Lord

¹² Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’^(T) but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name^(U) and you have found favor^(V) with me.’ ¹³ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways^(W) so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”^(X)

¹⁴ The Lord replied, “My Presence^(Y) will go with you, and I will give you rest.”^(Z)

¹⁵ Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence^(AA) does not go with us, do not send us up from here. ¹⁶ How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us?^(AB) What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”^(AC)

¹⁷ And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked,^(AD) because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”^(AE)

¹⁸ Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”^(AF)

¹⁹ And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass^(AG) in front of you, and I will proclaim my name,^(AH) the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.^{(AI) 20} But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see^(AJ) me and live.”

²¹ Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. ²² When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock^(AK) and cover you with my hand^(AL) until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

The New Stone Tablets

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones,^(AM) and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets,^(AN) which you broke.^{(AO) 2} Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai.^(AP) Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. ³ No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain;^(AQ) not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.”

⁴ So Moses chiseled^(AR) out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.^{(AS) 5} Then the Lord came down in the cloud^(AT) and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord.^{(AU) 6} And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate^(AV) and gracious God, slow to anger,^(AW) abounding in love^(AX) and faithfulness,^{(AY) 7} maintaining love to thousands,^(AZ) and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.^(BA) Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished;^(BB) he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”^(BC)

⁸ Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. ⁹ “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor^(BD) in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us.^(BE) Although this is a stiff-necked^(BF) people, forgive our wickedness and our sin,^(BG) and take us as your inheritance.”^(BH)

¹⁰ Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant^(BI) with you. Before all your people I will do wonders^(BJ) never before done in any nation in all the world.^(BK) The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you. ¹¹ Obey what I command^(BL) you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.^{(BM) 12} Be careful not to make a treaty^(BN) with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare^(BO) among you. ¹³ Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles.^{[a](BP) 14} Do not worship any other god,^(BQ) for the Lord, whose name^(BR) is Jealous, is a jealous God.^(BS)

¹⁵ “Be careful not to make a treaty^(BT) with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute^(BU) themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.^{(BV) 16} And when you choose some of their daughters as wives^(BW) for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods,^(BX) they will lead your sons to do the same.

¹⁷ “Do not make any idols.^(BY)

¹⁸ “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread.^(BZ) For seven days eat bread made without yeast,^(CA) as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv,^(CB) for in that month you came out of Egypt.

¹⁹ “The first offspring^(CC) of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. ²⁰ Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck.^(CD) Redeem all your firstborn sons.^(CE)

“No one is to appear before me empty-handed.^(CF)

²¹ “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest;^(CG) even during the plowing season and harvest^(CH) you must rest.

²² “Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits^(CI) of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering^(CJ) at the turn of the year.^{[b] 23} Three times^(CK) a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. ²⁴ I will drive out nations^(CL) before you and enlarge your territory,^(CM) and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God.

²⁵ “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast,^(CN) and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Festival remain until morning.^(CO)

²⁶ “Bring the best of the firstfruits^(CP) of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.

“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”^(CQ)

²⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write^(CR) down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant^(CS) with you and with Israel.” ²⁸ Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights^(CT) without eating bread or drinking water.^(CU) And he wrote on the tablets^(CV) the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.^(CW)

The Radiant Face of Moses

²⁹ When Moses came down from Mount Sinai^(CX) with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands,^(CY) he was not aware that his face was radiant^(CZ) because he had spoken with the Lord. ³⁰ When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community^(DA) came back to him, and he spoke to them. ³² Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands^(DB) the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.

³³ When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil^(DC) over his face. ³⁴ But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, ³⁵ they saw that his face was radiant.^(DD) Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.

Psalm 44^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.^[b]

The Remnant of Israel

11 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means!^(A) I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham,^(B) from the tribe of Benjamin.^{(C) 2} God did not reject his people,^(D) whom he foreknew.^(E) Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: ³ “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”^[a]?^{(F) 4} And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”^{[b](G) 5} So too, at the present time there is a remnant^(H) chosen by grace.^{(I) 6} And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works;^(J) if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

⁷ What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain.^(K) The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,^{(L) 8} as it is written:

⁹ And David says:

Ingrafted Branches

¹¹ Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all!^(Q) Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles^(R) to make Israel envious.^{(S) 12} But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles,^(T) how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

¹³ I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,^(U) I take pride in my ministry ¹⁴ in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy^(V) and save^(W) some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection brought reconciliation^(X) to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?^{(Y) 16} If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits^(Z) is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ If some of the branches have been broken off,^(AA) and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others^(AB) and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸ do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.^{(AC) 19} You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith.^(AD) Do not be arrogant,^(AE) but tremble.^{(AF) 21} For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

²² Consider therefore the kindness^(AG) and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue^(AH) in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.^{(AI) 23} And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.^{(AJ) 24} After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree,^(AK) how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

All Israel Will Be Saved

²⁵ I do not want you to be ignorant^(AL) of this mystery,^(AM) brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited:^(AN) Israel has experienced a hardening^(AO) in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,^{(AP) 26} and in this way^[e] all Israel will be saved.^(AQ) As it is written:

²⁸ As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies^(AS) for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs,^{(AT) 29} for God’s gifts and his call^(AU) are irrevocable.^{(AV) 30} Just as you who were at one time disobedient^(AW) to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, ³¹ so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now^[h] receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. ³² For God has bound everyone over to disobedience^(AX) so that he may have mercy on them all.

Doxology

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you,^(BF) brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,^(BG) holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform^(BH) to the pattern of this world,^(BI) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.^(BJ) Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is^(BK)—his good, pleasing^(BL) and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

³ For by the grace given me^(BM) I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,^{(BN) 5} so in Christ we, though many, form one body,^(BO) and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts,^(BP) according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying,^(BQ) then prophesy in accordance with your^[l] faith;^{(BR) 7} if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;^{(BS) 8} if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;^(BT) if it is giving, then give generously;^(BU) if it is to lead,^[m] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Love in Action

⁹ Love must be sincere.^(BV) Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.^{(BW) 10} Be devoted to one another in love.^(BX) Honor one another above yourselves.^{(BY) 11} Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,^(BZ) serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope,^(CA) patient in affliction,^(CB) faithful in prayer.^{(CC) 13} Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.^(CD) Practice hospitality.^(CE)

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you;^(CF) bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.^{(CG) 16} Live in harmony with one another.^(CH) Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[n] Do not be conceited.^(CI)

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil.^(CJ) Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.^{(CK) 18} If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.^{(CL) 19} Do not take revenge,^(CM) my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[o](CN) says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.