Exodus 10:21-23
Christian Standard Bible
The Ninth Plague: Darkness
21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days. 23 One person could not see another, and for three days they did not move from where they were. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived.(A)
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Exodus 13:17-22
Christian Standard Bible
The Route of the Exodus
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said, “The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.”(A) 18 So he led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation.(B)
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph(C) with him, because Joseph had made the Israelites swear a solemn oath, saying, “God will certainly come to your aid; then you must take my bones with you from this place.”
20 They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21 The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud(D) to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people.
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Psalm 18:1-19
Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 18
Praise for Deliverance
For the choir director. Of the servant of the Lord, David, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the power of Saul.(A) He said:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock,
my fortress, and my deliverer,(B)
my God, my rock where I seek refuge,
my shield(C) and the horn of my salvation,(D)
my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(E)
and I was saved from my enemies.(F)
4 The ropes of death were wrapped around me;
the torrents of destruction terrified me.(G)
5 The ropes of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.(H)
6 I called to the Lord in my distress,
and I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,(I)
and my cry to him reached his ears.(J)
7 Then the earth shook and quaked;
the foundations of the mountains trembled;(K)
they shook because he burned with anger.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils,
and consuming fire came from his mouth;
coals were set ablaze by it.[a](L)
9 He bent the heavens and came down,(M)
total darkness beneath his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.(N)
11 He made darkness his hiding place,
dark storm clouds his canopy around him.(O)
12 From the radiance of his presence,(P)
his clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals.
13 The Lord thundered from[b] heaven;
the Most High made his voice heard.[c](Q)
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them;
he hurled[d] lightning bolts and routed them.(R)
15 The depths of the sea became visible,
the foundations of the world were exposed,
at your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.(S)
16 He reached down from on high
and took hold of me;
he pulled me out of deep water.(T)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too strong for me.(U)
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.(V)
19 He brought me out to a spacious place;(W)
he rescued me because he delighted in me.(X)
Psalm 18:25-32
Christian Standard Bible
25 With the faithful
you prove yourself faithful,
with the blameless
you prove yourself blameless,
26 with the pure
you prove yourself pure,
but with the crooked
you prove yourself shrewd.(A)
27 For you rescue an oppressed people,(B)
but you humble those with haughty eyes.(C)
28 Lord, you light my lamp;
my God illuminates my darkness.(D)
29 With you I can attack a barricade,[a]
and with my God I can leap over a wall.(E)
30 God—his way is perfect;(F)
the word of the Lord is pure.(G)
He is a shield to all who take refuge in him.(H)
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(I)
And who is a rock? Only our God.(J)
32 God—he clothes me with strength(K)
and makes my way perfect.
Footnotes
- 18:29 Or a ridge, or raiders
Ephesians 5:8-17
Christian Standard Bible
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light(A) in the Lord. Walk as children of light(B)— 9 for the fruit of the light[a] consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth(C)— 10 testing(D) what is pleasing(E) to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless(F) works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made visible,(G) 14 for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said:
Consistency in the Christian Life
15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— 16 making the most of the time,[b](K) because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand(L) what the Lord’s will(M) is.
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