Moses Flees to Midian

¹¹ One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people^(A) were and watched them at their hard labor.^(B) He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. ¹² Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. ¹³ The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?”^(C)

¹⁴ The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us?^(D) Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”

¹⁵ When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill^(E) Moses, but Moses fled^(F) from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian,^(G) where he sat down by a well. ¹⁶ Now a priest of Midian^(H) had seven daughters, and they came to draw water^(I) and fill the troughs^(J) to water their father’s flock. ¹⁷ Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue^(K) and watered their flock.^(L)

¹⁸ When the girls returned to Reuel^(M) their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”

¹⁹ They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”

²⁰ “And where is he?” Reuel asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.”^(N)

²¹ Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah^(O) to Moses in marriage. ²² Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,^[a](P) saying, “I have become a foreigner^(Q) in a foreign land.”

²³ During that long period,^(R) the king of Egypt died.^(S) The Israelites groaned in their slavery^(T) and cried out, and their cry^(U) for help because of their slavery went up to God. ²⁴ God heard their groaning and he remembered^(V) his covenant^(W) with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. ²⁵ So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned^(X) about them.

David and Jonathan

20 Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged^(A) your father, that he is trying to kill me?”^(B)

² “Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!”

³ But David took an oath^(C) and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”

⁴ Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”

⁵ So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast,^(D) and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide^(E) in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. ⁶ If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission^(F) to hurry to Bethlehem,^(G) his hometown, because an annual^(H) sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’ ⁷ If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper,^(I) you can be sure that he is determined^(J) to harm me. ⁸ As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant^(K) with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill^(L) me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”

⁹ “Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?”

¹⁰ David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

¹¹ “Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.

¹² Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound^(M) out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? ¹³ But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely,^(N) if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with^(O) you as he has been with my father. ¹⁴ But show me unfailing kindness^(P) like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, ¹⁵ and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family^(Q)—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

¹⁶ So Jonathan^(R) made a covenant^(S) with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.^(T)” ¹⁷ And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath^(U) out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

¹⁸ Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty.^(V)

¹⁶ “So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea^(A) or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen^(B) to you. ¹⁷ Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁸ The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven.^(C) They pour out drink offerings^(D) to other gods to arouse^(E) my anger. ¹⁹ But am I the one they are provoking?^(F) declares the Lord. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?^(G)

²⁰ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign^(H) Lord says: My anger^(I) and my wrath will be poured^(J) out on this place—on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the crops of your land—and it will burn and not be quenched.^(K)

²¹ “‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices^(L) and eat^(M) the meat yourselves! ²² For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands^(N) about burnt offerings and sacrifices,^{(O) 23} but I gave them this command:^(P) Obey^(Q) me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.^(R) Walk in obedience to all^(S) I command you, that it may go well^(T) with you. ²⁴ But they did not listen^(U) or pay attention;^(V) instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts.^(W) They went backward^(X) and not forward. ²⁵ From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again^(Y) I sent you my servants^(Z) the prophets.^{(AA) 26} But they did not listen to me or pay attention.^(AB) They were stiff-necked^(AC) and did more evil than their ancestors.’^(AD)

²⁷ “When you tell^(AE) them all this, they will not listen^(AF) to you; when you call to them, they will not answer.^{(AG) 28} Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction.^(AH) Truth^(AI) has perished; it has vanished from their lips.

²⁹ “‘Cut off^(AJ) your hair and throw it away; take up a lament^(AK) on the barren heights, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned^(AL) this generation that is under his wrath.

The Valley of Slaughter

³⁰ “‘The people of Judah have done evil^(AM) in my eyes, declares the Lord. They have set up their detestable idols^(AN) in the house that bears my Name and have defiled^(AO) it. ³¹ They have built the high places of Topheth^(AP) in the Valley of Ben Hinnom^(AQ) to burn their sons and daughters^(AR) in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.^{(AS) 32} So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter,^(AT) for they will bury^(AU) the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. ³³ Then the carcasses^(AV) of this people will become food^(AW) for the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away.^{(AX) 34} I will bring an end to the sounds^(AY) of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom^(AZ) in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem,^(BA) for the land will become desolate.^(BB)

Psalm 19^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar^(A) was starting, he took water and washed his hands^(B) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”^(C) he said. “It is your responsibility!”^(D)

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”^(E)

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,^(F) and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus^(G)

²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium^(H) and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,^{(I) 29} and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.^{(J) 30} They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.^{(K) 31} After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.^(L)

Be Holy

¹³ Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,^(A) set your hope^(B) on the grace to be brought to you^(C) when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.^{(D) 14} As obedient^(E) children, do not conform^(F) to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.^{(G) 15} But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;^{(H) 16} for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”^[a](I)

¹⁷ Since you call on a Father^(J) who judges each person’s work^(K) impartially,^(L) live out your time as foreigners^(M) here in reverent fear.^{(N) 18} For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed^(O) from the empty way of life^(P) handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood^(Q) of Christ, a lamb^(R) without blemish or defect.^{(S) 20} He was chosen before the creation of the world,^(T) but was revealed in these last times^(U) for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God,^(V) who raised him from the dead^(W) and glorified him,^(X) and so your faith and hope^(Y) are in God.

²² Now that you have purified^(Z) yourselves by obeying^(AA) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,^(AB) from the heart.^{[b] 23} For you have been born again,^(AC) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,^(AD) through the living and enduring word of God.^{(AE) 24} For,

And this is the word that was preached to you.