Exodus 12

• 1. Now the LORD gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron while they were still in the land of Egypt:
• 2. "From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you.
• 3. Announce to the whole community that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice.
• 4. If a family is too small to eat an entire lamb, let them share the lamb with another family in the neighborhood. Whether or not they share in this way depends on the size of each family and how much they can eat.
• 5. This animal must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no physical defects.
• 6. "Take special care of these lambs until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then each family in the community must slaughter its lamb.
• 7. They are to take some of the lamb's blood and smear it on the top and sides of the doorframe of the house where the lamb will be eaten.
• 8. That evening everyone must eat roast lamb with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast.
• 9. The meat must never be eaten raw or boiled; roast it all, including the head, legs, and internal organs.
• 10. Do not leave any of it until the next day. Whatever is not eaten that night must be burned before morning.
• 11. "Wear your traveling clothes as you eat this meal, as though prepared for a long journey. Wear your sandals, and carry your walking sticks in your hands. Eat the food quickly, for this is the LORD's Passover.
• 12. On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and kill all the firstborn sons and firstborn male animals in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD!
• 13. The blood you have smeared on your doorposts will serve as a sign. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.
• 14. "You must remember this day forever. Each year you will celebrate it as a special festival to the LORD.
• 15. For seven days, you may eat only bread made without yeast. On the very first day you must remove every trace of yeast from your homes. Anyone who eats bread made with yeast at any time during the seven days of the festival will be cut off from the community of Israel.
• 16. On the first day of the festival, and again on the seventh day, all the people must gather for a time of special worship. No work of any kind may be done on these days except in the preparation of food.
• 17. "Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent regulation for you, to be kept from generation to generation.
• 18. Only bread without yeast may be eaten from the evening of the fourteenth day of the month until the evening of the twenty-first day of the month.
• 19. During those seven days, there must be no trace of yeast in your homes. Anyone who eats anything made with yeast during this week will be cut off from the community of Israel. These same regulations apply to the foreigners living with you, as if they had been born among you.
• 20. I repeat, during those days you must not eat anything made with yeast. Wherever you live, eat only bread that has no yeast in it."
• 21. Then Moses called for the leaders of Israel and said, "Tell each of your families to slaughter the lamb they have set apart for the Passover.
• 22. Drain each lamb's blood into a basin. Then take a cluster of hyssop branches and dip it into the lamb's blood. Strike the hyssop against the top and sides of the doorframe, staining it with the blood. And remember, no one is allowed to leave the house until morning.
• 23. For the LORD will pass through the land and strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the LORD will pass over your home. He will not permit the Destroyer to enter and strike down your firstborn.
• 24. "Remember, these instructions are permanent and must be observed by you and your descendants forever.
• 25. When you arrive in the land the LORD has promised to give you, you will continue to celebrate this festival.
• 26. Then your children will ask, `What does all this mean? What is this ceremony about?'
• 27. And you will reply, `It is the celebration of the LORD's Passover, for he passed over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he killed the Egyptians, he spared our families and did not destroy us.'" Then all the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
• 28. So the people of Israel did just as the LORD had commanded through Moses and Aaron.
• 29. And at midnight the LORD killed all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn son of the captive in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed.
• 30. Pharaoh and his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died.
• 31. Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. "Leave us!" he cried. "Go away, all of you! Go and serve the LORD as you have requested.
• 32. Take your flocks and herds, and be gone. Go, but give me a blessing as you leave."
• 33. All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, "We will all die!"
• 34. The Israelites took with them their bread dough made without yeast. They wrapped their kneading bowls in their spare clothing and carried them on their shoulders.
• 35. And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed and asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold.
• 36. The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So, like a victorious army, they plundered the Egyptians!
• 37. That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children. And they were all traveling on foot.
• 38. Many people who were not Israelites went with them, along with the many flocks and herds.
• 39. Whenever they stopped to eat, they baked bread from the yeastless dough they had brought from Egypt. It was made without yeast because the people were rushed out of Egypt and had no time to wait for bread to rise.
• 40. The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years.
• 41. In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the LORD's forces left the land.
• 42. This night had been reserved by the LORD to bring his people out from the land of Egypt, so this same night now belongs to him. It must be celebrated every year, from generation to generation, to remember the LORD's deliverance.
• 43. Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "These are the regulations for the festival of Passover. No foreigners are allowed to eat the Passover lamb.
• 44. But any slave who has been purchased may eat it if he has been circumcised.
• 45. Hired servants and visiting foreigners may not eat it.
• 46. All who eat the lamb must eat it together in one house. You must not carry any of its meat outside, and you may not break any of its bones.
• 47. The whole community of Israel must celebrate this festival at the same time.
• 48. "If there are foreigners living among you who want to celebrate the LORD's Passover, let all the males be circumcised. Then they may come and celebrate the Passover with you. They will be treated just as if they had been born among you. But an uncircumcised male may never eat of the Passover lamb.
• 49. This law applies to everyone, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner who has settled among you."
• 50. So the people of Israel followed all the LORD's instructions to Moses and Aaron.
• 51. And that very day the LORD began to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, division by division.

Luke 16

• 1. Jesus told this story to his disciples: "A rich man hired a manager to handle his affairs, but soon a rumor went around that the manager was thoroughly dishonest.
• 2. So his employer called him in and said, 'What's this I hear about your stealing from me? Get your report in order, because you are going to be dismissed.'
• 3. "The manager thought to himself, 'Now what? I'm through here, and I don't have the strength to go out and dig ditches, and I'm too proud to beg.
• 4. I know just the thing! And then I'll have plenty of friends to take care of me when I leave!'
• 5. "So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe him?'
• 6. The man replied, 'I owe him eight hundred gallons of olive oil.' So the manager told him, 'Tear up that bill and write another one for four hundred gallons. '
• 7. "'And how much do you owe my employer?' he asked the next man. 'A thousand bushels of wheat,' was the reply. 'Here,' the manager said, 'take your bill and replace it with one for only eight hundred bushels. '
• 8. "The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the citizens of this world are more shrewd than the godly are.
• 9. I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven.
• 10. "Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities.
• 11. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?
• 12. And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be trusted with money of your own?
• 13. "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
• 14. The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, naturally scoffed at all this.
• 15. Then he said to them, "You like to look good in public, but God knows your evil hearts. What this world honors is an abomination in the sight of God.
• 16. "Until John the Baptist began to preach, the laws of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and eager multitudes are forcing their way in.
• 17. But that doesn't mean that the law has lost its force in even the smallest point. It is stronger and more permanent than heaven and earth.
• 18. "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."
• 19. Jesus said, "There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed and who lived each day in luxury.
• 20. At his door lay a diseased beggar named Lazarus.
• 21. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man's table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.
• 22. Finally, the beggar died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried,
• 23. and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Lazarus in the far distance with Abraham.
• 24. "The rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in these flames.'
• 25. "But Abraham said to him, 'Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.
• 26. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. Anyone who wanted to cross over to you from here is stopped at its edge, and no one there can cross over to us.'
• 27. "Then the rich man said, 'Please, Father Abraham, send him to my father's home.
• 28. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them about this place of torment so they won't have to come here when they die.'
• 29. "But Abraham said, 'Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read their writings anytime they want to.'
• 30. "The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will turn from their sins.'
• 31. "But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.'"

Job 31

• 1. "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a young woman.
• 2. What has God above chosen for us? What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high?
• 3. It is calamity for the wicked, misfortune for those who do evil.
• 4. He sees everything I do and every step I take.
• 5. "Have I lied to anyone or deceived anyone?
• 6. Let God judge me on the scales of justice, for he knows my integrity.
• 7. If I have strayed from his pathway, or if my heart has lusted for what my eyes have seen, or if I am guilty of any other sin,
• 8. then let someone else harvest the crops I have planted, and let all that I have planted be uprooted.
• 9. "If my heart has been seduced by a woman, or if I have lusted for my neighbor's wife,
• 10. then may my wife belong to another man; may other men sleep with her.
• 11. For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished.
• 12. It is a devastating fire that destroys to hell. It would wipe out everything I own.
• 13. "If I have been unfair to my male or female servants, if I have refused to hear their complaints,
• 14. how could I face God? What could I say when he questioned me about it?
• 15. For God created both me and my servants. He created us both.
• 16. "Have I refused to help the poor, or crushed the hopes of widows who looked to me for help?
• 17. Have I been stingy with my food and refused to share it with hungry orphans?
• 18. No, from childhood I have cared for orphans, and all my life I have cared for widows.
• 19. Whenever I saw someone who was homeless and without clothes,
• 20. did they not praise me for providing wool clothing to keep them warm?
• 21. If my arm has abused an orphan because I thought I could get away with it,
• 22. then let my shoulder be wrenched out of place! Let my arm be torn from its socket!
• 23. That would be better than facing the judgment sent by God. For if the majesty of God opposes me, what hope is there?
• 24. "Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold?
• 25. Does my happiness depend on my wealth and all that I own?
• 26. Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies, or the moon walking down its silver pathway,
• 27. and been secretly enticed in my heart to worship them?
• 28. If so, I should be punished by the judges, for it would mean I had denied the God of heaven.
• 29. "Have I ever rejoiced when my enemies came to ruin or become excited when harm came their way?
• 30. No, I have never cursed anyone or asked for revenge.
• 31. My servants have never let others go hungry.
• 32. I have never turned away a stranger but have opened my doors to everyone.
• 33. Have I tried to hide my sins as people normally do, hiding my guilt in a closet?
• 34. Have I feared the crowd and its contempt, so that I refused to acknowledge my sin and would not go outside?
• 35. "If only I had someone who would listen to me and try to see my side! Look, I will sign my name to my defense. Let the Almighty show me that I am wrong. Let my accuser write out the charges against me.
• 36. I would face the accusation proudly. I would treasure it like a crown.
• 37. For I would tell him exactly what I have done. I would come before him like a prince.
• 38. "If my land accuses me and all its furrows weep together,
• 39. or if I have stolen its crops or murdered its owners,
• 40. then let thistles grow on that land instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley." Job's words are ended.

New Living Translation: 61 of 365 days.