18 For you have not come to what may be touched, ^va blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the ^wsound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers ^xbeg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20 For they could not endure the order that was given, ^y“If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ^z“I tremble with fear.” 22 But you have come to Mount ^aZion and to the ^bcity of the ^cliving God, the ^dheavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly¹ of the firstborn who are ^eenrolled in heaven, and to God, the ^fjudge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous ^gmade perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the ^hmediator of a ⁱnew covenant, and to the ^jsprinkled blood that speaks a better word than ^kthe blood of ^lAbel.