The Plague of Blood

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding;^(A) he refuses to let the people go. ¹⁵ Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river.^(B) Confront him on the bank of the Nile,^(C) and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. ¹⁶ Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship^(D) me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.^{(E) 17} This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord:^(F) With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.^{(G) 18} The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;^(H) the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’”^(I)

¹⁹ The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff^(J) and stretch out your hand^(K) over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels^[a] of wood and stone.”

²⁰ Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded.^(L) He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,^(M) and all the water was changed into blood.^{(N) 21} The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

²² But the Egyptian magicians^(O) did the same things by their secret arts,^(P) and Pharaoh’s heart^(Q) became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. ²³ Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. ²⁴ And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water^(R), because they could not drink the water of the river.

The Plague of Frogs

²⁵ Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.

²⁰ As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. ²¹ David had just said, “It’s been useless—all my watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing.^(A) He has paid^(B) me back evil^(C) for good. ²² May God deal with David,^[a] be it ever so severely,^(D) if by morning I leave alive one male^(E) of all who belong to him!”

²³ When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground.^{(F) 24} She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord,^(G) and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. ²⁵ Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool^(H),^(I) and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. ²⁶ And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed^(J) and from avenging^(K) yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal.^{(L) 27} And let this gift,^(M) which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.

²⁸ “Please forgive^(N) your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting^(O) dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles,^(P) and no wrongdoing^(Q) will be found in you as long as you live. ²⁹ Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life,^(R) the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl^(S) away as from the pocket of a sling.^{(T) 30} When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler^(U) over Israel, ³¹ my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember^(V) your servant.”^(W)

³² David said to Abigail, “Praise^(X) be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. ³³ May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed^(Y) this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. ³⁴ Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal^(Z) would have been left alive by daybreak.”

³⁵ Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted^(AA) your request.”

³⁶ When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high^(AB) spirits and very drunk.^(AC) So she told^(AD) him nothing at all until daybreak. ³⁷ Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.^{(AE) 38} About ten days later, the Lord struck^(AF) Nabal and he died.

³⁹ When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”

Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. ⁴⁰ His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”

⁴¹ She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” ⁴² Abigail^(AG) quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife. ⁴³ David had also married Ahinoam^(AH) of Jezreel, and they both were his wives.^{(AI) 44} But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel^[b](AJ) son of Laish, who was from Gallim.^(AK)

God’s Answer

¹⁴ This is what the Lord says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance^(V) I gave my people Israel, I will uproot^(W) them from their lands and I will uproot^(X) the people of Judah from among them. ¹⁵ But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion^(Y) and will bring^(Z) each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. ¹⁶ And if they learn^(AA) well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’^(AB)—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal^(AC)—then they will be established among my people.^{(AD) 17} But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy^(AE) it,” declares the Lord.

Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit^(A)

²¹ They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.^{(B) 22} The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.^{(C) 23} Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, ²⁴ “What do you want with us,^(D) Jesus of Nazareth?^(E) Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”^(F)

²⁵ “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”^{(G) 26} The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.^(H)

²⁷ The people were all so amazed^(I) that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” ²⁸ News about him spread quickly over the whole region^(J) of Galilee.

Jesus Heals Many^(K)(L)

²⁹ As soon as they left the synagogue,^(M) they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. ³⁰ Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. ³¹ So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up.^(N) The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

³² That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.^{(O) 33} The whole town gathered at the door, ³⁴ and Jesus healed many who had various diseases.^(P) He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.^(Q)

1 Simon Peter, a servant^(A) and apostle of Jesus Christ,^(B)

To those who through the righteousness^(C) of our God and Savior Jesus Christ^(D) have received a faith as precious as ours:

² Grace and peace be yours in abundance^(E) through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.^(F)

Confirming One’s Calling and Election

³ His divine power^(G) has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him^(H) who called us^(I) by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises,^(J) so that through them you may participate in the divine nature,^(K) having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.^(L)

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;^{(M) 6} and to knowledge, self-control;^(N) and to self-control, perseverance;^(O) and to perseverance, godliness;^{(P) 7} and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.^{(Q) 8} For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive^(R) in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(S) 9} But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,^(T) forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.^(U)

¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers and sisters,^[a] make every effort to confirm your calling^(V) and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,^{(W) 11} and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom^(X) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.^(Y)

Prophecy of Scripture

¹² So I will always remind you of these things,^(Z) even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth^(AA) you now have. ¹³ I think it is right to refresh your memory^(AB) as long as I live in the tent of this body,^{(AC) 14} because I know that I will soon put it aside,^(AD) as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.^{(AE) 15} And I will make every effort to see that after my departure^(AF) you will always be able to remember these things.