The Israelites Oppressed

These are the names of the sons of Israel(A) who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.(B) The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy[a] in all;(C) Joseph was already in Egypt.

Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,(D) but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers(E) and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.(F) “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous(G) for us.(H) 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly(I) with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”(J)

11 So they put slave masters(K) over them to oppress them with forced labor,(L) and they built Pithom and Rameses(M) as store cities(N) for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly.(O) 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor(P) in brick(Q) and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.(R)

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives,(S) whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”(T) 17 The midwives, however, feared(U) God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do;(V) they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”(W)

20 So God was kind to the midwives(X) and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared(Y) God, he gave them families(Z) of their own.

22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile,(AA) but let every girl live.”(AB)

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 1:5 Masoretic Text (see also Gen. 46:27); Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14 and note at Gen. 46:27) seventy-five

17 Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter(A) Merab. I will give her to you in marriage;(B) only serve me bravely and fight the battles(C) of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself,(D) “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

18 But David said to Saul, “Who am I,(E) and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?(F) 19 So[a] when the time came for Merab,(G) Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.(H)

20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal(I) was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.(J) 21 “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare(K) to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

22 Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

23 They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law?(L) I’m only a poor man and little known.”

24 When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, 25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price(M) for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge(N) on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan(O) was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

26 When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, 27 David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal(P) in marriage.

28 When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal(Q) loved David, 29 Saul became still more afraid(R) of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

30 The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success(S) than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 18:19 Or However,

11 But I am full of the wrath(A) of the Lord,
    and I cannot hold it in.(B)

“Pour it out on the children in the street
    and on the young men(C) gathered together;
both husband and wife will be caught in it,
    and the old, those weighed down with years.(D)
12 Their houses will be turned over to others,(E)
    together with their fields and their wives,(F)
when I stretch out my hand(G)
    against those who live in the land,”
declares the Lord.
13 “From the least to the greatest,
    all(H) are greedy for gain;(I)
prophets and priests alike,
    all practice deceit.(J)
14 They dress the wound of my people
    as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
    when there is no peace.(K)
15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
    No, they have no shame at all;
    they do not even know how to blush.(L)
So they will fall among the fallen;
    they will be brought down when I punish(M) them,”
says the Lord.

16 This is what the Lord says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;
    ask for the ancient paths,(N)
ask where the good way(O) is, and walk in it,
    and you will find rest(P) for your souls.
    But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I appointed watchmen(Q) over you and said,
    ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’(R)
    But you said, ‘We will not listen.’(S)
18 Therefore hear, you nations;
    you who are witnesses,
    observe what will happen to them.
19 Hear, you earth:(T)
    I am bringing disaster(U) on this people,
    the fruit of their schemes,(V)
because they have not listened to my words(W)
    and have rejected my law.(X)
20 What do I care about incense from Sheba(Y)
    or sweet calamus(Z) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;(AA)
    your sacrifices(AB) do not please me.”(AC)

21 Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“I will put obstacles before this people.
    Parents and children alike will stumble(AD) over them;
    neighbors and friends will perish.”

22 This is what the Lord says:

“Look, an army is coming
    from the land of the north;(AE)
a great nation is being stirred up
    from the ends of the earth.(AF)
23 They are armed with bow and spear;
    they are cruel and show no mercy.(AG)
They sound like the roaring sea(AH)
    as they ride on their horses;(AI)
they come like men in battle formation
    to attack you, Daughter Zion.(AJ)

24 We have heard reports about them,
    and our hands hang limp.(AK)
Anguish(AL) has gripped us,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(AM)
25 Do not go out to the fields
    or walk on the roads,
for the enemy has a sword,
    and there is terror on every side.(AN)
26 Put on sackcloth,(AO) my people,
    and roll in ashes;(AP)
mourn with bitter wailing(AQ)
    as for an only son,(AR)
for suddenly the destroyer(AS)
    will come upon us.

27 “I have made you a tester(AT) of metals
    and my people the ore,
that you may observe
    and test their ways.
28 They are all hardened rebels,(AU)
    going about to slander.(AV)
They are bronze and iron;(AW)
    they all act corruptly.
29 The bellows blow fiercely
    to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining(AX) goes on in vain;
    the wicked are not purged out.
30 They are called rejected silver,(AY)
    because the Lord has rejected them.”(AZ)

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21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;(A)
    I am not guilty of turning(B) from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;(C)
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless(D) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(E)
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25 To the faithful(F) you show yourself faithful,(G)
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure(H) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(I)
27 You save the humble(J)
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.(K)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp(L) burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.(M)
29 With your help(N) I can advance against a troop[a];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect:(O)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;(P)
    he shields(Q) all who take refuge(R) in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(S)
    And who is the Rock(T) except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength(U)
    and keeps my way secure.(V)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(W)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.(X)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade

When Judas, who had betrayed him,(A) saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver(B) to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”(C)

So Judas threw the money into the temple(D) and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.(E)

The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood(F) to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:(G) “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”[a](H)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 27:10 See Zech. 11:12,13; Jer. 19:1-13; 32:6-9.

Patience in Suffering

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.(A) See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting(B) for the autumn and spring rains.(C) You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming(D) is near.(E) Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,(F) or you will be judged. The Judge(G) is standing at the door!(H)

10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets(I) who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed(J) those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance(K) and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.(L) The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.(M)

12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.(N)

The Prayer of Faith

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.(O) Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.(P) 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders(Q) of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil(R) in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith(S) will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins(T) to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.(U) The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.(V)

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are.(W) He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.(X) 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.(Y)

19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth(Z) and someone should bring that person back,(AA) 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save(AB) them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.(AC)

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