Jesus and Beelzebul^(A)

²² Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.^{(B) 23} All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”^(C)

²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul,^(D) the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”^(E)

²⁵ Jesus knew their thoughts^(F) and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ If Satan^(G) drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul,^(H) by whom do your people^(I) drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ²⁸ But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God^(J) has come upon you.

²⁹ “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

³⁰ “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.^{(K) 31} And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.^{(L) 32} Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age^(M) or in the age to come.^(N)

³³ “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.^{(O) 34} You brood of vipers,^(P) how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks^(Q) what the heart is full of. ³⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. ³⁶ But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”^(R)

In Athens

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue^(A) with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news^(B) about Jesus and the resurrection.^{(C) 19} Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus,^(D) where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching^(E) is that you are presenting? ²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” ²¹ (All the Athenians^(F) and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

²² Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus^(G) and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.^{(H) 23} For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship^(I)—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it^(J) is the Lord of heaven and earth^(K) and does not live in temples built by human hands.^{(L) 25} And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.^{(M) 26} From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.^{(N) 27} God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.^{(O) 28} ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’^[a](P) As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’^[b]

²⁹ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.^{(Q) 30} In the past God overlooked^(R) such ignorance,^(S) but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.^{(T) 31} For he has set a day when he will judge^(U) the world with justice^(V) by the man he has appointed.^(W) He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”^(X)

³² When they heard about the resurrection of the dead,^(Y) some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” ³³ At that, Paul left the Council. ³⁴ Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus,^(Z) also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

Psalm 28

Of David.

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.

The Song of Moses and Miriam

15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song^(CQ) to the Lord:

¹⁹ When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen^[j] went into the sea,^(ER) the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.^{(ES) 20} Then Miriam^(ET) the prophet,^(EU) Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels^(EV) and dancing.^{(EW) 21} Miriam sang^(EX) to them:

The Waters of Marah and Elim

²² Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert^(FA) of Shur.^(FB) For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.^{(FC) 23} When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.^[k](FD)) ²⁴ So the people grumbled^(FE) against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”^(FF)

²⁵ Then Moses cried out^(FG) to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw^(FH) it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.

There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.^{(FI) 26} He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep^(FJ) all his decrees,^(FK) I will not bring on you any of the diseases^(FL) I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals^(FM) you.”

²⁷ Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped^(FN) there near the water.