Bible Readings for January 27, 2013

Today our passages are Exodus 4:1–5:21; Matthew 18:1-22; Psalm 22:19-31; and Proverbs 5:15-21. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

Exodus 4-5:21 (Contemporary English Version)

Exodus 4

The LORD Gives Great Power to Moses

 ¹Moses asked the LORD, " Suppose everyone refuses to listen to my message, and no one believes that you really appeared to me?"     ²The LORD answered, " What's that in your hand?"
   " A walking stick," Moses replied.
    ³" Throw it down!" the LORD commanded. So Moses threw the stick on the ground. It immediately turned into a snake, and Moses jumped back.
    ⁴" Pick it up by the tail!" the LORD told him. And when Moses did this, the snake turned back into a walking stick.
    ⁵" Do this," the LORD said, " and the Israelites will believe that you have seen me, the God who was worshiped by their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
    ⁶Next, the LORD commanded Moses, " Put your hand inside your shirt." Moses obeyed, and when he took it out, his hand had turned white as snow--like someone with leprosy. ^{[a] 7}" Put your hand back inside your shirt," the LORD told him. Moses did so, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body.
    ^8-9Then the LORD said, " If no one believes either of these miracles, take some water from the Nile River and pour it on the ground. The water will immediately turn into blood."
    ¹⁰Moses replied, " I have never been a good speaker. I wasn't one before you spoke to me, and I'm not one now. I am slow at speaking, and I can never think of what to say."
    ¹¹But the LORD answered, " Who makes people able to speak or makes them deaf or unable to speak? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Don't you know that I am the one who does these things? ¹²Now go! When you speak, I will be with you and give you the words to say."
    ¹³Moses begged, " LORD, please send someone else to do it."
    ¹⁴The LORD became irritated with Moses and said:
   What about your brother Aaron, the Levite? I know he is a good speaker. He is already on his way here to visit you, and he will be happy to see you again. ^15-16Aaron will speak to the people for you, and you will be like me, telling Aaron what to say. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will tell each of you what to do. ¹⁷Now take this walking stick and use it to perform miracles.
   

Moses Returns to Egypt

 ¹⁸Moses went to his father-in-law Jethro and asked, " Please let me return to Egypt to see if any of my people are still alive."    " All right," Jethro replied. " I hope all goes well."
    ¹⁹But even before this, the LORD had told Moses, " Leave the land of Midian and return to Egypt. Everyone who wanted to kill you is dead." ²⁰So Moses put his wife and sons on donkeys and headed for Egypt, holding the walking stick that had the power of God.
    ²¹On the way the LORD said to Moses:
   When you get to Egypt, go to the king and work the miracles I have shown you. But I will make him so stubborn that he will refuse to let my people go. ²²Then tell him that I have said, " Israel is my first-born son, ²³and I commanded you to release him, so he could worship me. But you refused, and now I will kill your first-born son."
   

Zipporah's Son Is Circumcised

 ²⁴One night while Moses was in camp, the LORD was about to kill him. ²⁵But Zipporah ^[b] circumcised her son with a flint knife. She touched his ^[c] legs with the skin she had cut off and said, " My dear son, this blood will protect you." ^{[d] 26}So the LORD did not harm Moses. Then Zipporah said, " Yes, my dear, you are safe because of this circumcision." ^[e]

Aaron Is Sent To Meet Moses

 ²⁷The LORD sent Aaron to meet Moses in the desert. So Aaron met Moses at Mount Sinai ^[f] and greeted him with a kiss. ²⁸Moses told Aaron what God had sent him to say; he also told him about the miracles God had given him the power to perform. ²⁹Later they brought together the leaders of Israel, ³⁰and Aaron told them what the LORD had sent Moses to say. Then Moses worked the miracles for the people, ³¹and everyone believed. They bowed down and worshiped the LORD because they knew that he had seen their suffering and was going to help them.    

Exodus 5

Moses and Aaron Go to the King of Egypt

 ¹Moses and Aaron went to the king ^[g] of Egypt and told him, " The LORD God says, Let my people go into the desert, so they can honor me with a celebration there. " ²" Who is this LORD and why should I obey him?" the king replied. " I refuse to let you and your people go!"     ³They answered, " The LORD God of the Hebrews, has appeared to us. Please let us walk three days into the desert where we can offer sacrifices to him. If you don't, he may strike us down with terrible troubles or with war."
    ^4-5The king said, " Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping these people from working? Look how many you are keeping from doing their work. Now everyone get back to work!"
    ⁶That same day the king gave orders to his slave bosses and to the men directly in charge of the Israelite slaves. He told them:
    ⁷Don't give the slaves any more straw ^[h] to put in their bricks. Force them to find their own straw wherever they can, ⁸but they must make the same number of bricks as before. They are lazy, or else they would not beg me to let them go and sacrifice to their God. ⁹Make them work so hard that they won't have time to listen to these lies. ¹⁰The slave bosses and the men in charge of the slaves went out and told them, " The king says he will not give you any more straw. ¹¹Go and find your own straw wherever you can, but you must still make as many bricks as before."
    ¹²The slaves went all over Egypt, looking for straw. ¹³But the slave bosses were hard on them and kept saying, " Each day you have to make as many bricks as you did when you were given straw." ¹⁴The bosses beat the men in charge of the slaves and said, " Why didn't you force the slaves to make as many bricks yesterday and today as they did before?"
    ¹⁵Finally, the men in charge of the slaves went to the king and said, " Why are you treating us like this? ¹⁶No one brings us any straw, but we are still ordered to make the same number of bricks. We are beaten with whips, and your own people are to blame."
    ¹⁷The king replied, " You are lazy--nothing but lazy! That's why you keep asking me to let you go and sacrifice to your LORD. ¹⁸Get back to work! You won't be given straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks."
    ¹⁹The men knew they were in deep trouble when they were ordered to make the same number of bricks each day. ²⁰After they left the king, they went to see Moses and Aaron, who had been waiting for them. ²¹Then the men said, " We hope the LORD will punish both of you for making the king and his officials hate us. Now they even have an excuse to kill us."
   

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 4:6 leprosy: The word translated " leprosy" was used for many different kinds of skin diseases.
2. Exodus 4:25 Zipporah: The wife of Moses (see 2.16-21).
3. Exodus 4:25 his: Either Moses or the boy.
4. Exodus 4:25 My dear son. . . you: Or " My dear husband, you are a man of blood" (meaning Moses).
5. Exodus 4:26 you are. . . circumcision: Or " you are a man of blood."
6. Exodus 4:27 Mount Sinai: Hebrew " the mountain of God."
7. Exodus 5:1 the king: See the note at 1.11.
8. Exodus 5:7 straw: The straw made the mud bricks stronger and kept them from shrinking, cracking, or losing their shape.

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Matthew 18:1-22 (Contemporary English Version)

Matthew 18

Who Is the Greatest?

(Mark 9.33-37; Luke 9.46-48)

 ¹About this time the disciples came to Jesus and asked him who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ²Jesus called a child over and had the child stand near him. ³Then he said:    I promise you this. If you don't change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. ⁴But if you are as humble as this child, you are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵And when you welcome one of these children because of me, you welcome me.
   

Temptations To Sin

(Mark 9.42-48; Luke 17.1,2)

 ⁶It will be terrible for people who cause even one of my little followers to sin. Those people would be better off thrown into the deepest part of the ocean with a heavy stone tied around their necks! ⁷The world is in for trouble because of the way it causes people to sin. There will always be something to cause people to sin, but anyone who does this will be in for trouble.     ⁸If your hand or foot causes you to sin, chop it off and throw it away! You would be better off to go into life crippled or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the fire that never goes out. ⁹If your eye causes you to sin, poke it out and get rid of it. You would be better off to go into life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fires of hell.
   

The Lost Sheep

(Luke 15.3-7)

 ^10-11Don't be cruel to any of these little ones! I promise you that their angels are always with my Father in heaven. ^{[a] 12}Let me ask you this. What would you do if you had a hundred sheep and one of them wandered off? Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go look for the one that had wandered away? ¹³I am sure that finding it would make you happier than having the ninety-nine that never wandered off. ¹⁴That's how it is with your Father in heaven. He doesn't want any of these little ones to be lost.

When Someone Sins

(Luke 17.3)

 ¹⁵If one of my followers ^[b] sins against you, go and point out what was wrong. But do it in private, just between the two of you. If that person listens, you have won back a follower. ¹⁶But if that one refuses to listen, take along one or two others. The Scriptures teach that every complaint must be proven true by two or more witnesses. ¹⁷If the follower refuses to listen to them, report the matter to the church. Anyone who refuses to listen to the church must be treated like an unbeliever or a tax collector. ^[c]

Allowing and Not Allowing

 ¹⁸I promise you that God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but he will not allow anything you don't allow. ¹⁹I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. ²⁰Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, ^[d] I am there with you.

An Official Who Refused To Forgive

 ²¹Peter came up to the Lord and asked, "How many times should I forgive someone ^[e] who does something wrong to me? Is seven times enough?" ²²Jesus answered:    Not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! ^[f]

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 18:10 in heaven: Some manuscripts add, "The Son of Man came to save people who are lost."
2. Matthew 18:15 followers: The Greek text has "brother," which is used here and elsewhere in this chapter to refer to a follower of Christ.
3. Matthew 18:17 tax collector: See the note at 5.46.
4. Matthew 18:20 in my name: Or "as my followers."
5. Matthew 18:21 someone: Or "a follower." See the note at 18.15.
6. Matthew 18:22 seventy-seven times: Or "seventy times seven." The large number means that one follower should never stop forgiving another.

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Psalm 22:19-31 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁹Don't stay far away, LORD!
   My strength comes from you,
   so hurry and help.
    ²⁰Rescue me from enemy swords
   and save me from those dogs.
    ²¹Don't let lions eat me.
   You rescued me from the horns
   of wild bulls,
    ²²and when your people meet,
   I will praise you, LORD.
    ²³All who worship the LORD,
   now praise him!
   You belong to Jacob's family
   and to the people of Israel,
   so fear and honor the LORD!
    ²⁴The LORD doesn't hate
   or despise the helpless
   in all of their troubles.
   When I cried out, he listened
   and did not turn away.
    ²⁵When your people meet,
   you will fill my heart
   with your praises, LORD,
   and everyone will see me
   keep my promises to you.
    ²⁶The poor will eat and be full,
   and all who worship you
   will be thankful
   and live in hope.
    ²⁷Everyone on this earth
   will remember you, LORD.
   People all over the world
   will turn and worship you,
    ²⁸because you are in control,
   the ruler of all nations.
    ²⁹All who are rich
   and have more than enough
   will bow down to you, Lord.
   Even those who are dying
   and almost in the grave
   will come and bow down.
    ³⁰In the future, everyone
   will worship
   and learn
   about you, our Lord.
    ³¹People not yet born
   will be told,
   "The Lord has saved us!"

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Proverbs 5:15-21 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁵You should be faithful
   to your wife,
   just as you take water
   from your own well. ^{[a] 16}And don't be like a stream
   from which just any woman
   may take a drink.
    ¹⁷Save yourself for your wife
   and don't have sex
   with other women.
    ¹⁸Be happy with the wife
   you married
   when you were young.
    ¹⁹She is beautiful and graceful,
   just like a deer;
   you should be attracted to her
   and stay deeply in love.
    ²⁰Don't go crazy over a woman
   who is unfaithful
   to her own husband!
    ²¹The LORD sees everything,
   and he watches us closely.
   

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 5:15 own well: In biblical times water was scarce and wells were carefully guarded.

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Verse of the Day

“We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.” - Ephesians 6:12-13

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues, criticism of public land policies, and anarchist political views Edward Abbey wrote, “Love implies anger. The man who is angered by nothing cares about nothing.”

Bible Readings for January 26, 2013

Today our passages are Exodus 2:11–3:22; Matthew 17:10-27; Psalm 22:1-18; and Proverbs 5:7-14. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

Exodus 2:11-3:22 (Contemporary English Version)

Moses Escapes from Egypt

¹¹After Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were hard at work, and he saw an Egyptian beating one of them. ¹²Moses looked around to see if anyone was watching, then he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. ¹³When Moses went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting. So he went to the man who had started the fight and asked, " Why are you beating up one of your own people?" ¹⁴The man answered, " Who put you in charge of us and made you our judge? Are you planning to kill me, just as you killed that Egyptian?" This frightened Moses because he was sure that people must have found out what had happened. ¹⁵When the king ^[a] heard what Moses had done, the king wanted to kill him. But Moses escaped and went to the land of Midian. One day, Moses was sitting there by a well, ¹⁶when the seven daughters of Jethro, the priest of Midian, ^[b] came up to water their father's sheep and goats. ¹⁷Some shepherds tried to chase them away, but Moses came to their rescue and watered their animals. ¹⁸When Jethro's daughters returned home, their father asked, " Why have you come back so early today?" ¹⁹They answered, " An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds, and he even watered our sheep and goats." ²⁰" Where is he?" Jethro asked. " Why did you leave him out there? Invite him to eat with us." ²¹Moses agreed to stay on with Jethro, who later let his daughter Zipporah marry Moses. ²²And when she had a son, Moses said, " I will name him Gershom, ^[c] since I am a foreigner in this country." ²³After the death of the king of Egypt, the Israelites still complained because they were forced to be slaves. They cried out for help, ²⁴and God heard their loud cries. He did not forget the promise he had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ²⁵and because he knew what was happening to his people, he felt sorry for them.

Exodus 3

God Speaks to Moses

¹One day, Moses was taking care of the sheep and goats of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and Moses decided to lead them across the desert to Sinai, ^[d] the holy mountain. ²There an angel of the LORD appeared to him from a burning bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire, but it was not burning up. ³" This is strange!" he said to himself. " I'll go over and see why the bush isn't burning up." ⁴When the LORD saw Moses coming near the bush, he called him by name, and Moses answered, " Here I am." ⁵God replied, " Don't come any closer. Take off your sandals--the ground where you are standing is holy. ⁶I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Moses was afraid to look at God, and so he hid his face. ⁷The LORD said: I have seen how my people are suffering as slaves in Egypt, and I have heard them beg for my help because of the way they are being mistreated. I feel sorry for them, ⁸and I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians. I will bring my people out of Egypt into a country where there is good land, rich with milk and honey. I will give them the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. ⁹My people have begged for my help, and I have seen how cruel the Egyptians are to them. ¹⁰Now go to the king! I am sending you to lead my people out of his country. ¹¹But Moses said, " Who am I to go to the king and lead your people out of Egypt?" ¹²God replied, " I will be with you. And you will know that I am the one who sent you, when you worship me on this mountain after you have led my people out of Egypt." ^[e]13Moses answered, " I will tell the people of Israel that the God their ancestors worshiped has sent me to them. But what should I say, if they ask me your name?" ^14-15God said to Moses: I am the eternal God. So tell them that the LORD, ^[f] whose name is " I Am," has sent you. This is my name forever, and it is the name that people must use from now on. ¹⁶Call together the leaders of Israel and tell them that the God who was worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has appeared to you. Tell them I have seen how terribly they are being treated in Egypt, ¹⁷and I promise to lead them out of their troubles. I will give them a land rich with milk and honey, where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. ¹⁸The leaders of Israel will listen to you. Then you must take them to the king of Egypt and say, " The LORD God of the Hebrews has appeared to us. Let us walk three days into the desert, where we can offer a sacrifice to him." ¹⁹But I know that the king of Egypt won't let you go unless something forces him to. ²⁰So I will use my mighty power to perform all kinds of miracles and strike down the Egyptians. Then the king will send you away. ²¹After I punish the Egyptians, they will be so afraid of you that they will give you anything you want. You are my people, and I will let you take many things with you when you leave the land of Egypt. ²²Every Israelite woman will go to her Egyptian neighbors or to any Egyptian woman living in her house. She will ask them for gold and silver jewelry and for their finest clothes. The Egyptians will give them to you, and you will put these fine things on your sons and daughters. You will carry all this away when you leave Egypt.

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 2:15the king: See the note at 1.11.
2. Exodus 2:16Jethro, the priest of Midian: Hebrew " the priest of Midian." But see 3.1; 4.18; 18.1,2-4 where his name is given. In the Hebrew of verse 18 he is spoken of as " Reuel," which may have been the name of the tribe to which Jethro belonged.
3. Exodus 2:22Gershom: In Hebrew " Gershom" sounds like " foreigner."
4. Exodus 3:1Sinai: The Hebrew text has " Horeb," another name for Sinai.
5. Exodus 3:12I will be with you. . . out of Egypt: Or " I will be with you. This bush is a sign that I am the one sending you, and it is a promise that you will worship me on this mountain after you have led my people out of Egypt."
6. Exodus 3:14LORD: The Hebrew text has " Yahweh," which is usually translated " LORD" in the CEV. Since it seems related to the word translated " I am," it may mean " I am the one who is" or " I will be what I will be" or " I am the one who brings into being."

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Matthew 17:10-27 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁰The disciples asked Jesus, "Don't the teachers of the Law of Moses say that Elijah must come before the Messiah does?" ¹¹Jesus told them, "Elijah certainly will come and get everything ready. ¹²In fact, he has already come. But the people did not recognize him and treated him just as they wanted to. They will soon make the Son of Man suffer in the same way." ¹³Then the disciples understood that Jesus was talking to them about John the Baptist.

Jesus Heals a Boy

(Mark 9.14-29; Luke 9.37-43a)

¹⁴Jesus and his disciples returned to the crowd. A man knelt in front of him ¹⁵and said, "Lord, have pity on my son! He has a bad case of epilepsy and often falls into a fire or into water. ¹⁶I brought him to your disciples, but none of them could heal him." ¹⁷Jesus said, "You people are too stubborn to have any faith! How much longer must I be with you? Why do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy here." ¹⁸Then Jesus spoke sternly to the demon. It went out of the boy, and right then he was healed. ¹⁹Later the disciples went to Jesus in private and asked him, "Why couldn't we force out the demon?" ^20-21Jesus replied: It is because you don't have enough faith! But I can promise you this. If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move from here to there. And it would. Everything would be possible for you. ^[a]

Jesus Again Speaks about His Death

(Mark 9.30-32; Luke 9.43b-45)

²²While Jesus and his disciples were going from place to place in Galilee, he told them, "The Son of Man will be handed over to people ²³who will kill him. But three days later he will rise to life." All of this made the disciples very sad.

Paying the Temple Tax

²⁴When Jesus and the others arrived in Capernaum, the collectors for the temple tax came to Peter and asked, "Does your teacher pay the temple tax?" ²⁵"Yes, he does," Peter answered. After they had returned home, Jesus went up to Peter and asked him, "Simon, what do you think? Do the kings of this earth collect taxes and fees from their own people or from foreigners?" ^[b]26Peter answered, "From foreigners." Jesus replied, "Then their own people ^[c] don't have to pay. ²⁷But we don't want to cause trouble. So go cast a line into the lake and pull out the first fish you hook. Open its mouth, and you will find a coin. Use it to pay your taxes and mine."

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 17:20for you: Some manuscripts add, "But the only way to force out that kind of demon is by praying and going without eating."
2. Matthew 17:25from their own people or from foreigners: Or "from their children or from others."
3. Matthew 17:26From foreigners. . . their own people: Or "From other people. . . their children."

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Psalm 22:1-18 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 22

(A psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "A Deer at Dawn." )

Suffering and Praise

¹My God, my God, why have you deserted me? Why are you so far away? Won't you listen to my groans and come to my rescue? ²I cry out day and night, but you don't answer, and I can never rest. ³Yet you are the holy God, ruling from your throne and praised by Israel. ⁴Our ancestors trusted you, and you rescued them. ⁵When they cried out for help, you saved them, and you did not let them down when they depended on you. ⁶But I am merely a worm, far less than human, and I am hated and rejected by people everywhere. ⁷Everyone who sees me makes fun and sneers. They shake their heads, ⁸and say, "Trust the LORD! If you are his favorite, let him protect you and keep you safe." ⁹You, LORD, brought me safely through birth, and you protected me when I was a baby at my mother's breast. ¹⁰From the day I was born, I have been in your care, and from the time of my birth, you have been my God. ¹¹Don't stay far off when I am in trouble with no one to help me. ¹²Enemies are all around like a herd of wild bulls. Powerful bulls from Bashan ^[a] are everywhere. ¹³My enemies are like lions roaring and attacking with jaws open wide. ¹⁴I have no more strength than a few drops of water. All my bones are out of joint; my heart is like melted wax. ¹⁵My strength has dried up like a broken clay pot, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You, God, have left me to die in the dirt. ¹⁶Brutal enemies attack me like a pack of dogs, tearing at ^[b] my hands and my feet. ¹⁷I can count all my bones, and my enemies just stare and sneer at me. ¹⁸They took my clothes and gambled for them.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 22:12Bashan: A land east of the Jordan River, where there were pastures suitable for raising fine cattle.
2. Psalm 22:16tearing at: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 5:7-14 (Contemporary English Version)

⁷My son, listen to me and do everything I say. ⁸Stay away from a bad woman! Don't even go near the door of her house. ⁹You will lose your self-respect and end up in debt to some cruel person for the rest of your life. ¹⁰Strangers will get your money and everything else you have worked for. ¹¹When it's all over, your body will waste away, as you groan ¹²and shout, "I hated advice and correction! ¹³I paid no attention to my teachers, ¹⁴and now I am disgraced in front of everyone."

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Verse of the Day

“Be humble in the Lord's presence, and he will honor you.” - James 4:10

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

Haitian former Catholic priest of the Salesian order and politician who served as Haiti's first democratically elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide wrote, “We must all make peace so that we can all live in peace.”

Bible Readings for January 25, 2013

Today our passages are Genesis 50:1 – Exodus 2:10; Matthew 16:13–17:9; Psalm 22:1-18; and Proverbs 5:7-14. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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Genesis 50 - Exodus 2:10 (Contemporary English Version)

Genesis 50

 ¹Joseph started crying, then leaned over to hug and kiss his father.     ²Joseph gave orders for Jacob's body to be embalmed, ³and it took the usual forty days.
   The Egyptians mourned seventy days for Jacob. ⁴When the time of mourning was over, Joseph said to the Egyptian leaders, "If you consider me your friend, please speak to the king ^[a] for me. ⁵Just before my father died, he made me promise to bury him in his burial cave in Canaan. If the king will give me permission to go, I will come back here." ⁶The king answered, "Go to Canaan and keep your promise to your father."
    ^7-9When Joseph left Goshen with his brothers, his relatives, and his father's relatives to bury Jacob, many of the king's highest officials and even his military chariots and cavalry went along. The Israelites left behind only their children, their cattle, and their sheep and goats.
    ¹⁰After crossing the Jordan River and reaching Atad's threshing place, Joseph had everyone mourn and weep seven days for his father. ¹¹The Canaanites saw this and said, "The Egyptians are in great sorrow." Then they named the place "Egypt in Sorrow." ^{[b] 12}So Jacob's sons did just as their father had instructed. ¹³They took him to Canaan and buried him in Machpelah Cave, the burial place Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite.
    ¹⁴After the funeral, Joseph, his brothers, and everyone else returned to Egypt.
   

Joseph's Promise to His Brothers

 ¹⁵After Jacob died, Joseph's brothers said to each other, "What if Joseph still hates us and wants to get even with us for all the cruel things we did to him?"     ¹⁶So they sent this message to Joseph:
   Before our father died, ¹⁷he told us, "You did some cruel and terrible things to Joseph, but you must ask him to forgive you."
   Now we ask you to please forgive the terrible things we did. After all, we serve the same God that your father worshiped.
   When Joseph heard this, he started crying.
    ¹⁸Right then, Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to the ground in front of him and said, "We are your slaves."
    ¹⁹But Joseph told them, "Don't be afraid! I have no right to change what God has decided. ²⁰You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing. ²¹Don't be afraid! I will take care of you and your children." After Joseph said this, his brothers felt much better.
   

Joseph's Death

 ²²Joseph lived in Egypt with his brothers until he died at the age of one hundred ten. ²³Joseph lived long enough to see Ephraim's children and grandchildren. He also lived to see the children of Manasseh's son Machir, and he welcomed them into his family. ²⁴Before Joseph died, he told his brothers, "I won't live much longer. But God will take care of you and lead you out of Egypt to the land he promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ²⁵Now promise me that you will take my body with you when God leads you to that land."     ²⁶So Joseph died in Egypt at the age of one hundred ten; his body was embalmed and put in a coffin.
   

Exodus 1

The People of Israel Suffer

 ^1-5When Jacob went to Egypt, his son Joseph was already there. So Jacob took his eleven other sons and their families. They were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. Altogether, Jacob had seventy children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren ^[c] who went with him. ⁶After Joseph, his brothers, and everyone else in that generation had died, ⁷the people of Israel became so numerous that the whole region of Goshen was full of them.     ⁸Many years later a new king came to power. He did not know what Joseph had done for Egypt, ⁹and he told the Egyptians:
   There are too many of those Israelites in our country, and they are becoming more powerful than we are. ¹⁰If we don't outsmart them, their families will keep growing larger. And if our country goes to war, they could easily fight on the side of our enemies and escape from Egypt.
    ¹¹The Egyptians put slave bosses in charge of the people of Israel and tried to wear them down with hard work. Those bosses forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses, ^[d] where the king ^[e] could store his supplies. ¹²But even though the Israelites were mistreated, their families grew larger, and they took over more land. Because of this, the Egyptians hated them worse than before ¹³and made them work so hard ¹⁴that their lives were miserable. The Egyptians were cruel to the people of Israel and forced them to make bricks and to mix mortar and to work in the fields. ¹⁵Finally, the king called in Shiphrah and Puah, the two women who helped the Hebrew ^[f] mothers when they gave birth. ¹⁶He told them, " If a Hebrew woman gives birth to a girl, let the child live. If the baby is a boy, kill him!" ¹⁷But the two women were faithful to God and did not kill the boys, even though the king had told them to. ¹⁸The king called them in again and asked, " Why are you letting those baby boys live?"
    ¹⁹They answered, " Hebrew women have their babies much quicker than Egyptian women. By the time we arrive, their babies are already born." ^20-21God was good to the two women because they truly respected him, and he blessed them with children of their own.
   The Hebrews kept increasing ²²until finally, the king gave a command to everyone in the nation, " As soon as a Hebrew boy is born, throw him into the Nile River! But you can let the girls live."
   

Exodus 2

Moses Is Born

 ¹A man from the Levi tribe married a woman from the same tribe, ²and she later had a baby boy. He was a beautiful child, and she kept him inside for three months. ³But when she could no longer keep him hidden, she made a basket out of reeds and covered it with tar. She put him in the basket and placed it in the tall grass along the edge of the Nile River. ⁴The baby's older sister ^[g] stood off at a distance to see what would happen to him. ⁵About that time one of the king's ^[h] daughters came down to take a bath in the river, while her servant women walked along the river bank. She saw the basket in the tall grass and sent one of the young women to pull it out of the water. ⁶When the king's daughter opened the basket, she saw the baby and felt sorry for him because he was crying. She said, " This must be one of the Hebrew babies." ⁷At once the baby's older sister came up and asked, " Do you want me to get a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby for you?"     ⁸" Yes," the king's daughter answered.
   So the girl brought the baby's mother, ⁹and the king's daughter told her, " Take care of this child, and I will pay you."
   The baby's mother carried him home and took care of him. ¹⁰And when he was old enough, she took him to the king's daughter, who adopted him. She named him Moses ^[i] because she said, " I pulled him out of the water."

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 50:4 the king: See the note at 12.15.
2. Genesis 50:11 Egypt in Sorrow: Or "Abel-Mizraim."
3. Exodus 1:1 seventy children. . . great-grandchildren: See Genesis 46.8-27.
4. Exodus 1:11 Pithom and Rameses: This is the only mention of Pithom in the Bible; its exact location is unknown, though it was probably in the northern Delta of Egypt. Rameses is the famous Delta city that was the home of Rameses II; its exact location is also unknown.
5. Exodus 1:11 the king: The Hebrew text has " Pharaoh," a Hebrew word sometimes used for the title of the king of Egypt.
6. Exodus 1:15 Hebrew: An earlier term for " Israelite."
7. Exodus 2:4 older sister: Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron.
8. Exodus 2:5 the king's: See the note at 1.11.
9. Exodus 2:10 Moses: In Hebrew " Moses" sounds like " pull out."

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Matthew 16:13-17:9 (Contemporary English Version)

Who Is Jesus?

(Mark 8.27-30; Luke 9.18-21)

 ¹³When Jesus and his disciples were near the town of Caesarea Philippi, he asked them, "What do people say about the Son of Man?"     ¹⁴The disciples answered, "Some people say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah ^[a] or Jeremiah or some other prophet." ¹⁵Then Jesus asked them, "But who do you say I am?"
    ¹⁶Simon Peter spoke up, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
    ¹⁷Jesus told him:
   Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! You didn't discover this on your own. It was shown to you by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸So I will call you Peter, which means "a rock." On this rock I will build my church, and death itself will not have any power over it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth. But he will not allow anything that you don't allow.
    ²⁰Jesus told his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
   

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

(Mark 8.31--9.1; Luke 9.22-27)

 ²¹From then on, Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, "I must go to Jerusalem. There the nation's leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make me suffer terribly. I will be killed, but three days later I will rise to life."     ²²Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. He said, "God would never let this happen to you, Lord!"
    ²³Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Satan, get away from me! You're in my way because you think like everyone else and not like God."
    ²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples:
   If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. ²⁵If you want to save your life, ^[b] you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it. ²⁶What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul? ²⁷The Son of Man will soon come in the glory of his Father and with his angels to reward all people for what they have done. ²⁸I promise you that some of those standing here will not die before they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom.
   

Matthew 17

The True Glory of Jesus

(Mark 9.2-13; Luke 9.28-36)

 ¹Six days later Jesus took Peter and the brothers James and John with him. They went up on a very high mountain where they could be alone. ²There in front of the disciples, Jesus was completely changed. His face was shining like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.     ³All at once Moses and Elijah were there talking with Jesus. ⁴So Peter said to him, "Lord, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
    ⁵While Peter was still speaking, the shadow of a bright cloud passed over them. From the cloud a voice said, "This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him. Listen to what he says!" ⁶When the disciples heard the voice, they were so afraid that they fell flat on the ground. ⁷But Jesus came over and touched them. He said, "Get up and don't be afraid!" ⁸When they opened their eyes, they saw only Jesus.
    ⁹On their way down from the mountain, Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had been raised from death.
   

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 16:14 Elijah: Many of the Jewish people expected the prophet Elijah to come and prepare the way for the Messiah.
2. Matthew 16:25 life: In verses 25 and 26 the same Greek word is translated "life," "yourself," and "soul."

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Psalm 22:1-18 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 22

(A psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "A Deer at Dawn." )

Suffering and Praise

 ¹My God, my God, why have you    deserted me?
   Why are you so far away?
   Won't you listen to my groans
   and come to my rescue?
    ²I cry out day and night,
   but you don't answer,
   and I can never rest.
    ³Yet you are the holy God,
   ruling from your throne
   and praised by Israel.
    ⁴Our ancestors trusted you,
   and you rescued them.
    ⁵When they cried out for help,
   you saved them,
   and you did not let them down
   when they depended on you.
    ⁶But I am merely a worm,
   far less than human,
   and I am hated and rejected
   by people everywhere.
    ⁷Everyone who sees me
   makes fun and sneers.
   They shake their heads,
    ⁸and say,
   "Trust the LORD!
   If you are his favorite,
   let him protect you
   and keep you safe."
    ⁹You, LORD, brought me
   safely through birth,
   and you protected me
   when I was a baby
   at my mother's breast.
    ¹⁰From the day I was born,
   I have been in your care,
   and from the time of my birth,
   you have been my God.
    ¹¹Don't stay far off
   when I am in trouble
   with no one to help me.
    ¹²Enemies are all around
   like a herd of wild bulls.
   Powerful bulls from Bashan ^[a] are everywhere.
    ¹³My enemies are like lions
   roaring and attacking
   with jaws open wide.
    ¹⁴I have no more strength
   than a few drops of water.
   All my bones are out of joint;
   my heart is like melted wax.
    ¹⁵My strength has dried up
   like a broken clay pot,
   and my tongue sticks
   to the roof of my mouth.
   You, God, have left me
   to die in the dirt.
    ¹⁶Brutal enemies attack me
   like a pack of dogs,
   tearing at ^[b] my hands and my feet.
    ¹⁷I can count all my bones,
   and my enemies just stare
   and sneer at me.
    ¹⁸They took my clothes
   and gambled for them.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 22:12 Bashan: A land east of the Jordan River, where there were pastures suitable for raising fine cattle.
2. Psalm 22:16 tearing at: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 5:7-14 (Contemporary English Version)

⁷My son, listen to me
   and do everything I say.
    ⁸Stay away from a bad woman!
   Don't even go near the door
   of her house.
    ⁹You will lose your self-respect
   and end up in debt
   to some cruel person
   for the rest of your life.
    ¹⁰Strangers will get your money
   and everything else
   you have worked for.
    ¹¹When it's all over,
   your body will waste away,
   as you groan ¹²and shout,
   "I hated advice and correction!
    ¹³I paid no attention
   to my teachers,
    ¹⁴and now I am disgraced
   in front of everyone."

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Verse of the Day

“Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don't ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.” - Philippians 4:8

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American rock singer-songwriter and musician Warren Zevon wrote:
    I’m searching for a heart,
    Searching everyone.
    They say love conquers all.
    You can’t start it like a car,
    You can’t stop it with a gun.