For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,

having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant;

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

For they could not bear the command, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.”