Water from the Rock

17 ^(A)All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. ^2 (B)Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you ^(C)test the Lord?” ³ But the people thirsted there for water, and ^(D)the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” ⁴ So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready ^(E)to stone me.” ⁵ And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with ^(F)which you struck the Nile, and go. ^6 (G)Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷ And he called the name of the place ^(H)Massah^[a] and ^(I)Meribah,^[b] because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Israel Defeats Amalek

^8 (J)Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. ⁹ So Moses said to ^(K)Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with ^(L)the staff of God in my hand.” ¹⁰ So ^(M)Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and ^(N)Hur went up to the top of the hill. ¹¹ Whenever Moses ^(O)held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. ¹² But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and ^(P)Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. ¹³ And ^(Q)Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of ^(R)Joshua, that ^(S)I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” ¹⁵ And Moses ^(T)built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, ¹⁶ saying, “A hand upon the throne^[c] of the Lord! ^(U)The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Jethro's Advice

18 ^(V)Jethro, ^(W)the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. ² Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, ³ along with her ^(X)two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (^(Y)for he said, ^(Z)“I have been a sojourner^[d] in a foreign land”), ⁴ and the name of the other, Eliezer^[e] (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). ⁵ Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the ^(AA)mountain of God. ⁶ And when he sent word to Moses, “I,^[f] your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” ⁷ Moses ^(AB)went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and ^(AC)kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. ⁸ Then Moses told his father-in-law ^(AD)all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. ⁹ And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

¹⁰ Jethro said, ^(AE)“Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. ¹¹ Now I know that ^(AF)the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they ^(AG)dealt arrogantly with the people.”^{[g] 12} And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law ^(AH)before God.

¹³ The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. ¹⁴ When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” ¹⁵ And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because ^(AI)the people come to me to inquire of God; ^16 (AJ)when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I ^(AK)make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” ¹⁷ Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸ You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. ^(AL)You are not able to do it alone. ¹⁹ Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall ^(AM)represent the people before God and ^(AN)bring their cases to God, ²⁰ and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know ^(AO)the way in which they must walk and ^(AP)what they must do. ²¹ Moreover, look for ^(AQ)able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ²² And ^(AR)let them judge the people at all times. ^(AS)Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will ^(AT)bear the burden with you. ²³ If you do this, God will direct you, you will be ^(AU)able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

²⁴ So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. ^25 (AV)Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ²⁶ And ^(AW)they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. ²⁷ Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and ^(AX)he went away to his own country.

Warning Against Idolatry

10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,^[a] that our fathers were all under ^(A)the cloud, and all ^(B)passed through the sea, ² and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ and ^(C)all ate the same ^(D)spiritual food, ⁴ and ^(E)all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for ^(F)they were overthrown^[b] in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as ^(G)they did. ^7 (H)Do not be idolaters ^(I)as some of them were; as it is written, ^(J)“The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” ^8 (K)We must not indulge in sexual immorality ^(L)as some of them did, and ^(M)twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. ⁹ We must not put Christ^[c] to the test, ^(N)as some of them did and ^(O)were destroyed by serpents, ¹⁰ nor grumble, ^(P)as some of them did and ^(Q)were destroyed by ^(R)the Destroyer. ¹¹ Now these things happened to them as an example, but ^(S)they were written down for our instruction, ^(T)on whom the end of the ages has come. ¹² Therefore ^(U)let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. ^(V)God is faithful, and ^(W)he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

¹⁴ Therefore, my beloved, ^(X)flee from idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak ^(Y)as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. ^16 (Z)The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? ^(AA)The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one bread, we who are many are ^(AB)one body, for we all partake of the one bread. ¹⁸ Consider ^(AC)the people of Israel:^{[d] (AD)}are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? ¹⁹ What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that ^(AE)an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice ^(AF)they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. ^21 (AG)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and ^(AH)the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and ^(AI)the table of demons. ^22 (AJ)Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? ^(AK)Are we stronger than he?

Do All to the Glory of God

^23 (AL)“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. ^24 (AM)Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. ^25 (AN)Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. ²⁶ For ^(AO)“the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.” ²⁷ If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, ^(AP)eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. ²⁸ But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— ²⁹ I do not mean ^(AQ)your conscience, but his. For ^(AR)why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that ^(AS)for which I give thanks?

³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or ^(AT)whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ^32 (AU)Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to ^(AV)the church of God, ³³ just as ^(AW)I try to please everyone in everything I do, ^(AX)not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

11 ^(AY)Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Head Coverings

² Now I commend you ^(AZ)because you remember me in everything and ^(BA)maintain the traditions ^(BB)even as I delivered them to you. ³ But I want you to understand that ^(BC)the head of every man is Christ, ^(BD)the head of a wife^[e] is her husband,^[f] and ^(BE)the head of Christ is God. ⁴ Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, ⁵ but every wife^[g] who prays or ^(BF)prophesies ^(BG)with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same ^(BH)as if her head were shaven. ⁶ For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. ⁷ For a man ought not to cover his head, since ^(BI)he is the image and glory of God, but ^(BJ)woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For ^(BK)man was not made from woman, but woman from man. ⁹ Neither was man created for woman, but ^(BL)woman for man. ¹⁰ That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.^{[h] 11} Nevertheless, ^(BM)in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; ¹² for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And ^(BN)all things are from God. ¹³ Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, ¹⁵ but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. ^16 (BO)If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do ^(BP)the churches of God.

The Lord's Supper

¹⁷ But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸ For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, ^(BQ)I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part,^{[i] 19} for ^(BR)there must be factions among you in order ^(BS)that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. ²⁰ When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. ²¹ For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, ^(BT)another gets drunk. ²² What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise ^(BU)the church of God and ^(BV)humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

²³ For ^(BW)I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that ^(BX)the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for^[j] you. Do this in remembrance of me.”^{[k] 25} In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death ^(BY)until he comes.

^27 (BZ)Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord ^(CA)in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning ^(CB)the body and blood of the Lord. ^28 (CC)Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰ That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some ^(CD)have died.^{[l] 31 (CE)}But if we judged^[m] ourselves truly, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged by the Lord, ^(CF)we are disciplined^[n] so that we may not be ^(CG)condemned along with the world.

³³ So then, my brothers,^[o] when you come together to eat, wait for^[p] one another— ^34 (CH)if anyone is hungry, ^(CI)let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things ^(CJ)I will give directions ^(CK)when I come.

Spiritual Gifts

12 Now ^(CL)concerning^[q] spiritual gifts,^[r] brothers,^[s] I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that ^(CM)when you were pagans ^(CN)you were led astray to ^(CO)mute idols, however you were led. ³ Therefore I want you to understand that ^(CP)no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is ^(CQ)accursed!” and ^(CR)no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

⁴ Now ^(CS)there are varieties of gifts, but ^(CT)the same Spirit; ⁵ and ^(CU)there are varieties of service, but ^(CV)the same Lord; ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but it is ^(CW)the same God who empowers them all in everyone. ^7 (CX)To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of ^(CY)wisdom, and to another the utterance of ^(CZ)knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹ to another ^(DA)faith by the same Spirit, to another ^(DB)gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another ^(DC)the working of miracles, to another ^(DD)prophecy, to another ^(DE)the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another ^(DF)various kinds of tongues, to another ^(DG)the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, ^(DH)who apportions to each one individually ^(DI)as he wills.

One Body with Many Members

¹² For just as ^(DJ)the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, ^(DK)so it is with Christ. ¹³ For ^(DL)in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—^(DM)Jews or Greeks, slaves^[t] or free—and ^(DN)all were made to drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴ For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? ¹⁸ But as it is, ^(DO)God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, ^(DP)as he chose. ¹⁹ If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts,^[u] yet one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴ which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ²⁵ that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, ^(DQ)all rejoice together.

²⁷ Now ^(DR)you are the body of Christ and individually ^(DS)members of it. ²⁸ And ^(DT)God has appointed in the church first ^(DU)apostles, second ^(DV)prophets, third teachers, then ^(DW)miracles, then ^(DX)gifts of healing, ^(DY)helping, ^(DZ)administrating, and ^(EA)various kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But ^(EB)earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.