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Psalm 2

1  Why are the nations in tumult, ♦︎
   and why do the peoples devise a vain plot?
2  The kings of the earth rise up,
      and the rulers take counsel together, ♦︎
   against the Lord and against his anointed:
3  ‘Let us break their bonds asunder ♦︎
   and cast away their cords from us.’
4  He who dwells in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; ♦︎
   the Lord shall have them in derision.
5  Then shall he speak to them in his wrath ♦︎
   and terrify them in his fury:
6  ‘Yet have I set my king ♦︎
   upon my holy hill of Zion.’
7  I will proclaim the decree of the Lord; ♦︎
   he said to me: ‘You are my Son; this day have I begotten you.
8  ‘Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance ♦︎
   and the ends of the earth for your possession.
9  ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron ♦︎
   and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’
10  Now therefore be wise, O kings; ♦︎
   be prudent, you judges of the earth.
11  Serve the Lord with fear, and with trembling kiss his feet, ♦︎
   lest he be angry and you perish from the way,
      for his wrath is quickly kindled.
12  Happy are all they ♦︎
   who take refuge in him.

⁹Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you and so trust you ever after.’

The People Consecrated

When Moses had told the words of the people to the Lord, ¹⁰the Lord said to Moses: ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes ¹¹and prepare for the third day, because on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹²You shall set limits for the people all around, saying, “Be careful not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it. Any who touch the mountain shall be put to death. ¹³No hand shall touch them, but they shall be stoned or shot with arrows;^* whether animal or human being, they shall not live.” When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may go up on the mountain.’ ¹⁴So Moses went down from the mountain to the people. He consecrated the people, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵And he said to the people, ‘Prepare for the third day; do not go near a woman.’

16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled. ¹⁷Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God. They took their stand at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord had descended upon it in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently. ¹⁹As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder. ²⁰When the Lord descended 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 said to Moses, ‘Go down and warn the people not to break through to the Lord to look; otherwise many of them will perish. ²²Even the priests who approach the Lord must consecrate themselves or the Lord will break out against them.’ ²³Moses said to the Lord, ‘The people are not permitted to come up to Mount Sinai; for you yourself warned us, saying, “Set limits around the mountain and keep it holy.” ’ ²⁴The Lord said to him, ‘Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you; but do not let either the priests or the people break through to come up to the Lord; otherwise he will break out against them.’ ²⁵So Moses went down to the people and told them.

The Faith of Moses

23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the child was beautiful; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.^{* 24}By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶He considered abuse suffered for the Christ^* to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward. ²⁷By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king’s anger; for he persevered as though^* he saw him who is invisible. ²⁸By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.^*