Moses Given Powerful Signs

Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, (A)“A staff.” And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— “that they may (B)believe that the Lord, (C)the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.”[a] And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was (D)leprous[b] like snow. Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, (E)it was restored like the rest of his flesh. “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile (F)will become blood on the dry ground.”

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but (G)I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and (H)I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, (I)he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 (J)You shall speak to him and (K)put the words in his mouth, and (L)I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 (M)He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and (N)you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand (O)this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 4:6 Hebrew into your bosom; also verse 7
  2. Exodus 4:6 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

Signs for Moses

Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen(A) to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”

Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

“A staff,”(B) he replied.

The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”

Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake,(C) and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe(D) that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”

Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous[a]—it had become as white as snow.(E)

“Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored,(F) like the rest of his flesh.

Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe(G) you or pay attention to the first sign,(H) they may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood(I) on the ground.”

10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”(J)

11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute?(K) Who gives them sight or makes them blind?(L) Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go;(M) I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”(N)

13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”(O)

14 Then the Lord’s anger burned(P) against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet(Q) you, and he will be glad to see you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth;(R) I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth(S) and as if you were God to him.(T) 17 But take this staff(U) in your hand(V) so you can perform the signs(W) with it.”

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 4:6 The Hebrew word for leprous was used for various diseases affecting the skin.

David and the Holy Bread

21 [a] Then David came to (A)Nob, to (B)Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech (C)came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is (D)holy bread—(E)if the young men have kept themselves from women.” And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” So the priest gave him (F)the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, (G)which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was (H)Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen.

Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.” And the priest said, (I)“The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in (J)the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.”

David Flees to Gath

10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to (K)Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? (L)Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,

‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
    and David his ten thousands’?”

12 And David (M)took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 21:1 Ch 21:2 in Hebrew

David at Nob

21 [a]David went to Nob,(A) to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled(B) when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”

David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”

But the priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread(C) on hand; however, there is some consecrated(D) bread here—provided the men have kept(E) themselves from women.”

David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual(F) whenever[b] I set out. The men’s bodies are holy(G) even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!” So the priest gave him the consecrated bread,(H) since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.

Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; he was Doeg(I) the Edomite,(J) Saul’s chief shepherd.

David asked Ahimelek, “Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent.”

The priest replied, “The sword(K) of Goliath(L) the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah,(M) is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.”

David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

David at Gath

10 That day David fled from Saul and went(N) to Achish king of Gath. 11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances:

“‘Saul has slain his thousands,
    and David his tens of thousands’?”(O)

12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. 13 So he pretended to be insane(P) in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? 15 Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-15 is numbered 21:2-16.
  2. 1 Samuel 21:5 Or from us in the past few days since

Jeremiah Grieves for His People

18 My joy is gone; grief is upon me;[a]
    (A)my heart is sick within me.
19 Behold, the cry of the daughter of my people
    from (B)the length and breadth of the land:
“Is the Lord not in Zion?
    (C)Is her King not in her?”
(D)“Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images
    and with their foreign idols?”
20 “The harvest is past, the summer is ended,
    and we are not saved.”
21 For the wound of (E)the daughter of my people is my heart wounded;
    (F)I mourn, and dismay has taken hold on me.

22 Is there no (G)balm in Gilead?
    Is there no physician there?
Why then has the health of the daughter of my people
    not been restored?

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 8:18 Compare Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

18 You who are my Comforter[a] in sorrow,
    my heart is faint(A) within me.
19 Listen to the cry of my people
    from a land far away:(B)
“Is the Lord not in Zion?
    Is her King(C) no longer there?”

“Why have they aroused(D) my anger with their images,
    with their worthless(E) foreign idols?”(F)

20 “The harvest is past,
    the summer has ended,
    and we are not saved.”

21 Since my people are crushed,(G) I am crushed;
    I mourn,(H) and horror grips me.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead?(I)
    Is there no physician(J) there?
Why then is there no healing(K)
    for the wound of my people?

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 8:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

The King Rejoices in the Lord's Strength

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

21 O Lord, in your (A)strength the king rejoices,
    and in your (B)salvation how greatly he exults!
You have (C)given him his heart's desire
    and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
For you (D)meet him with rich blessings;
    you set (E)a crown of (F)fine gold upon his head.
He asked life of you; you (G)gave it to him,
    (H)length of days forever and ever.
His (I)glory is great through your salvation;
    (J)splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
For you make him most blessed forever;[a]
    you make him glad with the (K)joy of your presence.
For the king trusts in the Lord,
    and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be (L)moved.

Your hand will (M)find out all your enemies;
    your right hand will find out those who hate you.
You will make them as (N)a blazing oven
    when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his (O)wrath,
    and (P)fire will consume them.
10 You (Q)will destroy their (R)descendants from the earth,
    and their offspring from among the children of man.
11 Though they plan evil against you,
    though they (S)devise mischief, they will not succeed.
12 For you will put them (T)to flight;
    you will (U)aim at their faces with your bows.

13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
    We will sing and praise your power.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 21:6 Or make him a source of blessing forever

Psalm 21[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.(A)
    How great is his joy in the victories you give!(B)

You have granted him his heart’s desire(C)
    and have not withheld the request of his lips.[b]
You came to greet him with rich blessings
    and placed a crown of pure gold(D) on his head.(E)
He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
    length of days, for ever and ever.(F)
Through the victories(G) you gave, his glory is great;
    you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.(H)
Surely you have granted him unending blessings
    and made him glad with the joy(I) of your presence.(J)
For the king trusts in the Lord;(K)
    through the unfailing love(L) of the Most High(M)
    he will not be shaken.(N)

Your hand will lay hold(O) on all your enemies;
    your right hand will seize your foes.
When you appear for battle,
    you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and his fire will consume them.(P)
10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    their posterity from mankind.(Q)
11 Though they plot evil(R) against you
    and devise wicked schemes,(S) they cannot succeed.
12 You will make them turn their backs(T)
    when you aim at them with drawn bow.

13 Be exalted(U) in your strength, Lord;(V)
    we will sing and praise your might.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-13 is numbered 21:2-14.
  2. Psalm 21:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

The Death of Jesus

45 Now from the sixth hour[a] there was darkness over all the land[b] until the ninth hour.[c] 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus (A)cried out with a loud voice, saying, (B)“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with (C)sour wine, and put it on a reed and (D)gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus (E)cried out again with a loud voice and (F)yielded up his spirit.

51 And behold, (G)the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And (H)the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of (I)the saints (J)who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into (K)the holy city and appeared to many. 54 (L)When the centurion and those who were with him, (M)keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, (N)“Truly this was the Son[d] of God!”

55 There were also (O)many women there, looking on (P)from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, (Q)ministering to him, 56 among whom were (R)Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and (S)the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 27:45 That is, noon
  2. Matthew 27:45 Or earth
  3. Matthew 27:45 That is, 3 p.m.
  4. Matthew 27:54 Or a son

The Death of Jesus(A)

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness(B) came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[a] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[b](C)

47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar,(D) put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.(E)

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple(F) was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split(G) 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[c] went into the holy city(H) and appeared to many people.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding(I) Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”(J)

55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.(K) 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,[d] and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.(L)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 27:46 Some manuscripts Eloi, Eloi
  2. Matthew 27:46 Psalm 22:1
  3. Matthew 27:53 Or tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they
  4. Matthew 27:56 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph

11 Beloved, I urge you (A)as sojourners and exiles (B)to abstain from the passions of the flesh, (C)which wage war against your soul. 12 (D)Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, (E)they may see your good deeds and glorify God on (F)the day of visitation.

Submission to Authority

13 (G)Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution,[a] whether it be to the emperor[b] as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him (H)to punish those who do evil and (I)to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, (J)that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 (K)Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but (L)living as servants[c] of God. 17 (M)Honor everyone. (N)Love the brotherhood. (O)Fear God. Honor the emperor.

18 (P)Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, (Q)mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But (R)if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For (S)to this you have been called, (T)because Christ also suffered for you, (U)leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 (V)He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 (W)When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, (X)but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 (Y)He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we (Z)might die to sin and (AA)live to righteousness. (AB)By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For (AC)you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to (AD)the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 2:13 Or every institution ordained for people
  2. 1 Peter 2:13 Or king; also verse 17
  3. 1 Peter 2:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

11 Dear friends,(A) I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,(B) to abstain from sinful desires,(C) which wage war against your soul.(D) 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds(E) and glorify God(F) on the day he visits us.

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:(G) whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong(H) and to commend those who do right.(I) 15 For it is God’s will(J) that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.(K) 16 Live as free people,(L) but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;(M) live as God’s slaves.(N) 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,(O) fear God, honor the emperor.(P)

18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters,(Q) not only to those who are good and considerate,(R) but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.(S) 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.(T) 21 To this(U) you were called,(V) because Christ suffered for you,(W) leaving you an example,(X) that you should follow in his steps.

22 “He committed no sin,(Y)
    and no deceit was found in his mouth.”[a](Z)

23 When they hurled their insults at him,(AA) he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.(AB) Instead, he entrusted himself(AC) to him who judges justly.(AD) 24 “He himself bore our sins”(AE) in his body on the cross,(AF) so that we might die to sins(AG) and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”(AH) 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,”[b](AI) but now you have returned to the Shepherd(AJ) and Overseer of your souls.(AK)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 2:22 Isaiah 53:9
  2. 1 Peter 2:25 Isaiah 53:4,5,6 (see Septuagint)