Exodus 7

• 1. Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
• 2. You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country.
• 3. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt,
• 4. he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites.
• 5. And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it."
• 6. Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them.
• 7. Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.
• 8. The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
• 9. "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Perform a miracle,' then say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a snake."
• 10. So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake.
• 11. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts:
• 12. Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.
• 13. Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
• 14. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.
• 15. Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake.
• 16. Then say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert. But until now you have not listened.
• 17. This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.
• 18. The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.'"
• 19. The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt-over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs'-and they will turn to blood. Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars."
• 20. Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood.
• 21. The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.
• 22. But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh's heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
• 23. Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart.
• 24. And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river.
• 25. Seven days passed after the LORD struck the Nile.

Luke 12

• 1. Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
• 2. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
• 3. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
• 4. "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
• 5. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
• 6. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
• 7. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
• 8. "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.
• 9. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.
• 10. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
• 11. "When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,
• 12. for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."
• 13. Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
• 14. Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?"
• 15. Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
• 16. And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.
• 17. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
• 18. "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
• 19. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'
• 20. "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
• 21. "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
• 22. Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.
• 23. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
• 24. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!
• 25. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
• 26. Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
• 27. "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
• 28. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
• 29. And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.
• 30. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.
• 31. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
• 32. "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
• 33. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
• 34. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
• 35. "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,
• 36. like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.
• 37. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.
• 38. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.
• 39. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
• 40. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
• 41. Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?"
• 42. The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?
• 43. It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.
• 44. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
• 45. But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk.
• 46. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
• 47. "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows.
• 48. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
• 49. "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
• 50. But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!
• 51. Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.
• 52. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.
• 53. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
• 54. He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does.
• 55. And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is.
• 56. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?
• 57. "Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?
• 58. As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.
• 59. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. "

Job 25

• 1. Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
• 2. "Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven.
• 3. Can his forces be numbered? Upon whom does his light not rise?
• 4. How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure?
• 5. If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes,
• 6. how much less man, who is but a maggot- a son of man, who is only a worm!"

Job 26

• 1. Then Job replied:
• 2. "How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble!
• 3. What advice you have offered to one without wisdom! And what great insight you have displayed!
• 4. Who has helped you utter these words? And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?
• 5. "The dead are in deep anguish, those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
• 6. Death is naked before God; Destruction lies uncovered.
• 7. He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.
• 8. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
• 9. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it.
• 10. He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness.
• 11. The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke.
• 12. By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces.
• 13. By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent.
• 14. And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?"

New International Version

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