Consecration of the Firstborn

13 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Consecrate to me every firstborn male.^(A) The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”

³ Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt,^(B) out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand.^(C) Eat nothing containing yeast.^{(D) 4} Today, in the month of Aviv,^(E) you are leaving. ⁵ When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites,^(F) Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites^(G)—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey^(H)—you are to observe this ceremony^(I) in this month: ⁶ For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival^(J) to the Lord. ⁷ Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. ⁸ On that day tell your son,^(K) ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ ⁹ This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand^(L) and a reminder on your forehead^(M) that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.^{(N) 10} You must keep this ordinance^(O) at the appointed time^(P) year after year.

¹¹ “After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites^(Q) and gives it to you, as he promised on oath^(R) to you and your ancestors,^{(S) 12} you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord.^{(T) 13} Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey,^(U) but if you do not redeem it, break its neck.^(V) Redeem^(W) every firstborn among your sons.^(X)

¹⁴ “In days to come, when your son^(Y) asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.^{(Z) 15} When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’^{(AA) 16} And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead^(AB) that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”

Crossing the Sea

¹⁷ When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”^{(AC) 18} So God led^(AD) the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.^[a] The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.^(AE)

¹⁹ Moses took the bones of Joseph^(AF) with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”^[b](AG)

²⁰ After leaving Sukkoth^(AH) they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.^{(AI) 21} By day the Lord went ahead^(AJ) of them in a pillar of cloud^(AK) to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. ²² Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left^(AL) its place in front of the people.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol^(AM) and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon.^{(AN) 3} Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ ⁴ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,^(AO) and he will pursue them.^(AP) But I will gain glory^(AQ) for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”^(AR) So the Israelites did this.

⁵ When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled,^(AS) Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds^(AT) about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” ⁶ So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. ⁷ He took six hundred of the best chariots,^(AU) along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. ⁸ The Lord hardened the heart^(AV) of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.^{(AW) 9} The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses^(AX) and chariots, horsemen^[c] and troops^(AY)—pursued the Israelites and overtook^(AZ) them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.^(BA)

¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried^(BB) out to the Lord. ¹¹ They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?^(BC) What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? ¹² Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”^(BD)

¹³ Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.^(BE) Stand firm and you will see^(BF) the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see^(BG) again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight^(BH) for you; you need only to be still.”^(BI)

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?^(BJ) Tell the Israelites to move on. ¹⁶ Raise your staff^(BK) and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water^(BL) so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ I will harden the hearts^(BM) of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.^(BN) And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. ¹⁸ The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord^(BO) when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

¹⁹ Then the angel of God,^(BP) who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud^(BQ) also moved from in front and stood behind^(BR) them, ²⁰ coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness^(BS) to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

²¹ Then Moses stretched out his hand^(BT) over the sea,^(BU) and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind^(BV) and turned it into dry land.^(BW) The waters were divided,^{(BX) 22} and the Israelites went through the sea^(BY) on dry ground,^(BZ) with a wall^(CA) of water on their right and on their left.

²³ The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen^(CB) followed them into the sea. ²⁴ During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud^(CC) at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.^{(CD) 25} He jammed^[d] the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting^(CE) for them against Egypt.”^(CF)

²⁶ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” ²⁷ Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.^(CG) The Egyptians were fleeing toward^[e] it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.^{(CH) 28} The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.^(CI) Not one of them survived.^(CJ)

²⁹ But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,^(CK) with a wall^(CL) of water on their right and on their left. ³⁰ That day the Lord saved^(CM) Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. ³¹ And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand^(CN) of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared^(CO) the Lord and put their trust^(CP) in him and in Moses his servant.

Psalm 24

Of David. A psalm.

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times^(A)

24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. ² “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another;^(B) every one will be thrown down.”

³ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives,^(C) the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming^(D) and of the end of the age?”^(E)

⁴ Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.^{(F) 5} For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.^{(G) 6} You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.^(H) There will be famines^(I) and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted^(J) and put to death,^(K) and you will be hated by all nations because of me.^{(L) 10} At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets^(M) will appear and deceive many people.^{(N) 12} Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.^{(O) 14} And this gospel of the kingdom^(P) will be preached in the whole world^(Q) as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

¹⁵ “So when you see standing in the holy place^(R) ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’^[a](S) spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— ¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let no one on the housetop^(T) go down to take anything out of the house. ¹⁸ Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. ¹⁹ How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!^{(U) 20} Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.^(V)

²² “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect^(W) those days will be shortened. ²³ At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.^{(X) 24} For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders^(Y) to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, I have told you ahead of time.

²⁶ “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For as lightning^(Z) that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming^(AA) of the Son of Man.^{(AB) 28} Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.^(AC)

²⁹ “Immediately after the distress of those days

³⁰ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth^[c] will mourn^(AE) when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven,^(AF) with power and great glory.^{[d] 31} And he will send his angels^(AG) with a loud trumpet call,^(AH) and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

³² “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. ³³ Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it^[e] is near, right at the door.^{(AI) 34} Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.^{(AJ) 35} Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.^(AK)

The Day and Hour Unknown^(AL)(AM)

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,^[f] but only the Father.^{(AN) 37} As it was in the days of Noah,^(AO) so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,^(AP) up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.^{(AQ) 40} Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.^{(AR) 41} Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.^(AS)

⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.^{(AT) 43} But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming,^(AU) he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready,^(AV) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant,^(AW) whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.^{(AX) 47} Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.^{(AY) 48} But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ ⁴⁹ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.^{(AZ) 50} 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. ⁵¹ He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.^(BA)