Praise to the Lord for His Faithfulness to Israel.

Praise for Jerusalem’s Restoration and Prosperity.

The Lord Provides Water

^22 (A)Then Moses ^[a]led Israel from the ^[b]Red Sea, and they went out into ^(B)the wilderness of ^(C)Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. ²³ When they came to ^(D)Marah, they could not drink the waters ^[c]of Marah, because they were ^[d]bitter; for that reason it was named ^[e]Marah. ²⁴ So the people ^(E)grumbled at Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” ²⁵ Then he ^(F)cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him ^(G)a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.

There He ^(H)made for them a statute and regulation, and there He ^(I)tested them. ²⁶ And He said, “^(J)If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and listen ^(K)to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, ^(L)I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, ^(M)the Lord, am your healer.”

²⁷ Then they came to ^(N)Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.

The Lord Provides Manna

16 Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of ^(O)Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on ^(P)the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. ² But the whole congregation of the sons of Israel ^(Q)grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. ³ The sons of Israel said to them, “^(R)If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, ^(S)when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger!”

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, ^(T)I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, so that I may ^(U)test them, whether or not they will walk in My ^[f]instruction. ^5 (V)On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” ⁶ So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening ^[g](W)you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt; ⁷ and in the morning ^[h]you will see ^(X)the glory of the Lord, for ^(Y)He hears your grumblings against the Lord; and ^(Z)what are we, that you grumble against us?”

The Lord Provides Meat

⁸ And Moses said, “This will happen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the Lord hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are ^(AA)not against us but against the Lord.”

⁹ Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘^(AB)Come forward before the Lord, for He has heard your grumblings.’” ¹⁰ And it came about, as Aaron spoke to the entire congregation of the sons of Israel, that they ^[i]looked toward the wilderness, and behold, ^(AC)the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

As Newborn Babes

2 Therefore, ^(A)rid yourselves of all ^[a]malice and all deceit and ^[b]hypocrisy and ^[c]envy and all ^[d](B)slander, ^2 (C)and like newborn babies, long for the ^[e](D)pure ^[f]milk of the word, so that by it you may ^(E)grow ^[g]in respect to salvation, ³ if you have ^(F)tasted ^[h](G)the kindness of the Lord.

As Living Stones

⁴ And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been ^(H)rejected by people, but is ^[i]choice and precious in the sight of God, ^5 (I)you also, as living stones, ^[j]are being built up as a ^(J)spiritual house for a holy ^(K)priesthood, to ^(L)offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For this is contained in ^[k]Scripture:

^7 (O)This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for unbelievers,

⁸ and,

^(S)for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, ^(T)and to this they were also appointed.

⁹ But you are ^(U)a chosen people, a royal ^(V)priesthood, a ^(W)holy nation, ^(X)a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you ^(Y)out of darkness into His marvelous light; ^10 (Z)for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Jesus Is the Vine—Followers Are Branches

15 “^(A)I am the true vine, and My Father is the ^(B)vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He ^[a]prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. ^3 (C)You are already ^[b]clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ^4 (D)Remain in Me, ^[c]and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit ^[d]of itself ^[e]but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him ^[f](E)bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not remain in Me, he is ^(F)thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ^(G)ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My ^(H)Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so ^[g](I)prove to be My disciples. ⁹ Just as ^(J)the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. ^10 (K)If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as ^(L)I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. ^11 (M)These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your ^(N)joy may be made full.