12 14 Aim at peace with all men, and a holy life, for without that no one will see the Lord. 12 15 Look to it that there is no one among you who forfeits the grace of God, no bitter, noxious weed growing up to poison the whole, 12 16 no immoral person, no one worldly-minded like Esau. He sold his birthright for a single meal, 12 17 and you know that although he wanted afterwards to claim the blessing, he was rejected; though he begged for it to the point of tears, he found no way open for second thoughts.
12 18 REMEMBER WHERE YOU STAND: not before the palpable, blazing fire of Sinai, with the darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, 12 19 the trumpet-blast and the oracular voice, which they heard, and begged to hear no more; 12 20 [ Ex.19.12-13. ] for they could not bear the command, 'If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.' 12 21 [ Dt.9.19. ] So appalling was the sight, that Moses said, 'I shudder with fear.' 12 22 No, you stand before Mount Zion and the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, before myriads of angels, 12 23 the full concourse and assembly of the first-born citizens of heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of good men made perfect, 12 24 and Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, whose sprinkled blood has better things to tell than the blood of Abel.
12 25 See that you do not refuse to hear the voice that speaks. Those who refused to hear the oracle speaking on earth found no escape; still less shall we escape if we refuse to hear the One who speaks from heaven. 12 26 [ Hg.2.6. ] Then indeed his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, 'Yet once again I will shake not earth alone, but the heavens also.' 12 27 The words 'once again'—and only once—imply that the shaking of these created things means their removal, and then what is not shaken will remain. 12 28 The kingdom we are given is unshakable; let us therefore give thanks to God, and so worship him as he would be worshipped, with reverence and awe; 12 29 [ Dt.4.24, Dt.9.3, Is.33.14. ] for our God is a devouring fire.