Do not think, however, that I am the one who will accuse you to my Father. Moses, in whom you have put your hope, is the very one who will accuse you.

We know that God spoke to Moses; as for that fellow, however, we do not even know where he comes from!"

God spoke, and these were his words:

"Worship no god but me.

Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the LORD your God and I tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation.

"Do not use my name for evil purposes, for I, the LORD your God, will punish anyone who misuses my name.

You have six days in which to do your work,

In six days I, the LORD, made the earth, the sky, the seas, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That is why I, the LORD, blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.

"Do not commit murder.

"Do not steal.

"Do not desire another man's house; do not desire his wife, his slaves, his cattle, his donkeys, or anything else that he owns."

Moses gave God's laws and teachings to the people of Israel.

Moses called together all the people of Israel and said to them, "People of Israel, listen to all the laws that I am giving you today. Learn them and be sure that you obey them.

We obey the Law that Moses gave us, our nation's most treasured possession.

He is the one who was with the people of Israel assembled in the desert; he was there with our ancestors and with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and he received God's living messages to pass on to us.

So they set a date with Paul, and a large number of them came that day to the place where Paul was staying. From morning till night he explained to them his message about the Kingdom of God, and he tried to convince them about Jesus by quoting from the Law of Moses and the writings of the prophets.

Now we know that everything in the Law applies to those who live under the Law, in order to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world under God's judgment.

For no one is put right in God's sight by doing what the Law requires; what the Law does is to make us know that we have sinned.

Law was introduced in order to increase wrongdoing; but where sin increased, God's grace increased much more.

So then, just as sin ruled by means of death, so also God's grace rules by means of righteousness, leading us to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Law was carved in letters on stone tablets, and God's glory appeared when it was given. Even though the brightness on Moses' face was fading, it was so strong that the people of Israel could not keep their eyes fixed on him. If the Law, which brings death when it is in force, came with such glory,

The system which brings condemnation was glorious; how much more glorious is the activity which brings salvation!

Those who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse. For the scripture says, "Whoever does not always obey everything that is written in the book of the Law is under God's curse!"

But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, as the scripture says, "Whoever does everything the Law requires will live."

Moses was faithful in God's house as a servant, and he spoke of the things that God would say in the future.

But Christ is faithful as the Son in charge of God's house. We are his house if we keep up our courage and our confidence in what we hope for.

But God finds fault with his people when he says, "The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will draw up a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.

Now, this is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel in the days to come, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

I will forgive their sins and will no longer remember their wrongs."

you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.

I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel."

All the nations will ask me to bless them as I have blessed your descendants---all because you obeyed my command."

Love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will embrace.

O LORD, I will always sing of your constant love; I will proclaim your faithfulness forever.

I know that your love will last for all time, that your faithfulness is as permanent as the sky.

He kept his promise to the people of Israel with loyalty and constant love for them. All people everywhere have seen the victory of our God.

You will show your faithfulness and constant love to your people, the descendants of Abraham and of Jacob, as you promised our ancestors long ago.

He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors, and has come to the help of his servant Israel.

He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham and to all his descendants forever!"

"Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come to the help of his people and has set them free.

He promised through his holy prophets long ago

He said he would show mercy to our ancestors and remember his sacred covenant.

(SEE 1:73)

"You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God. You will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his road for him,

Our God is merciful and tender. He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us

And this is what God said about raising him from death, never to rot away in the grave: 'I will give you the sacred and sure blessings that I promised to David.'

For David served God's purposes in his own time, and then he died, was buried with his ancestors, and his body rotted in the grave.

All of you, my fellow Israelites, are to know for sure that it is through Jesus that the message about forgiveness of sins is preached to you; you are to know that everyone who believes in him is set free from all the sins from which the Law of Moses could not set you free.

But now God's way of putting people right with himself has been revealed. It has nothing to do with law, even though the Law of Moses and the prophets gave their witness to it.

everyone has sinned and is far away from God's saving presence.

God offered him, so that by his blood he should become the means by which people's sins are forgiven through their faith in him. God did this in order to demonstrate that he is righteous. In the past he was patient and overlooked people's sins; but in the present time he deals with their sins, in order to demonstrate his righteousness. In this way God shows that he himself is righteous and that he puts right everyone who believes in Jesus.

So then, just as sin ruled by means of death, so also God's grace rules by means of righteousness, leading us to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin must not be your master; for you do not live under law but under God's grace.

For I tell you that Christ's life of service was on behalf of the Jews, to show that God is faithful, to make his promises to their ancestors come true,

Again it says, "Rejoice, Gentiles, with God's people!"

And again, Isaiah says, "A descendant of Jesse will appear; he will come to rule the Gentiles, and they will put their hope in him."

for it is he who is the "Yes" to all of God's promises. This is why through Jesus Christ our "Amen" is said to the glory of God.

Indeed, according to the Law almost everything is purified by blood, and sins are forgiven only if blood is poured out.

For the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sins.

You are not pleased with animals burned whole on the altar or with sacrifices to take away sins.

First he said, "You neither want nor are you pleased with sacrifices and offerings or with animals burned on the altar and the sacrifices to take away sins." He said this even though all these sacrifices are offered according to the Law.

Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do, we are all purified from sin by the offering that he made of his own body once and for all.

What a record all of these have won by their faith! Yet they did not receive what God had promised,

because God had decided on an even better plan for us. His purpose was that only in company with us would they be made perfect.

As he did so, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people.

You have made them a kingdom of priests to serve our God, and they shall rule on earth."

After this I looked, and there was an enormous crowd---no one could count all the people! They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood in front of the throne and of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.

All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. Then they threw themselves face downward in front of the throne and worshiped God,

One of the elders asked me, "Who are these people dressed in white robes, and where do they come from?"

That is why they stand before God's throne and serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will protect them with his presence.

because the Lamb, who is in the center of the throne, will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."