The Fifth Plague: Death of Livestock

9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him: This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. ² But if you refuse to let them go and keep holding them, ³ then the Lord’s hand will bring a severe plague against your livestock in the field—the horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks. ⁴ But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that the Israelites own will die.” ⁵ And the Lord set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.”^{(A) 6} The Lord did this the next day. All the Egyptian livestock died,^(B) but none among the Israelite livestock died. ⁷ Pharaoh sent messengers who saw that not a single one of the Israelite livestock was dead. But Pharaoh’s heart was hard,^(C) and he did not let the people go.

The Sixth Plague: Boils

⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of furnace soot, and Moses is to throw it toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. ⁹ It will become fine dust over the entire land of Egypt. It will become festering boils^(D) on people and animals throughout the land of Egypt.” ¹⁰ So they took furnace soot and stood before Pharaoh. Moses threw it toward heaven, and it became festering boils on people and animals. ¹¹ The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians as well as on all the Egyptians.^{(E) 12} But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart^(F) and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had told Moses.

The Seventh Plague: Hail

¹³ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh. Tell him: This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. ¹⁴ For this time I am about to send all my plagues against you,^[a] your officials, and your people. Then you will know there is no one like me on the whole earth. ¹⁵ By now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been obliterated from the earth.^{(G) 16} However, I have let you live for this purpose: to show you my power^(H) and to make my name known on the whole earth. ¹⁷ You are still acting arrogantly against^[b] my people by not letting them go. ¹⁸ Tomorrow at this time I will rain down the worst hail^(I) that has ever occurred in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. ¹⁹ Therefore give orders to bring your livestock and all that you have in the field into shelters. Every person and animal that is in the field and not brought inside will die when the hail falls on them.” ²⁰ Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the Lord made their servants and livestock flee to shelters, ²¹ but those who didn’t take to heart the Lord’s word left their servants and livestock in the field.

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven and let there be hail throughout the land of Egypt—on people and animals and every plant of the field in the land of Egypt.” ²³ So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail.^(J) Lightning struck the land, and the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. ²⁴ The hail, with lightning flashing through it, was so severe that nothing like it had occurred in the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. ²⁵ Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both people and animals. The hail beat down every plant of the field and shattered every tree in the field. ²⁶ The only place it didn’t hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.^(K)

²⁷ Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. “I have sinned this time,” he said to them. “The Lord is the righteous^(L) one, and I and my people are the guilty ones. ²⁸ Make an appeal to the Lord. There has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go;^(M) you don’t need to stay any longer.”

²⁹ Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands^(N) to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know the earth^[c](O) belongs to the Lord. ³⁰ But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the Lord God.”

³¹ The flax and the barley were destroyed because the barley was ripe^[d] and the flax was budding,^{(P) 32} but the wheat and the spelt were not destroyed since they are later crops.^[e]

³³ Moses left Pharaoh and the city, and spread out his hands to the Lord. Then the thunder and hail ceased, and rain no longer poured down on the land. ³⁴ When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his officials. ³⁵ So Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not let the Israelites go, as the Lord had said through Moses.

Beware of Religious Hypocrisy

12 Meanwhile, a crowd of many thousands came together, so that they were trampling^(A) on one another. He began to say to his disciples first,^(B) “Be on your guard^(C) against the leaven^[a](D) of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.^{(E) 2} There is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered,^(F) nothing hidden that won’t be made known.^{(G) 3} Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in an ear in private rooms^(H) will be proclaimed on the housetops.^(I)

Fear God

⁴ “I say to you, my friends,^(J) don’t fear^(K) those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. ⁵ But I will show you the one to fear: Fear^(L) him who has authority to throw people into hell^(M) after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the one to fear! ⁶ Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies?^[b] Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight.^{(N) 7} Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Acknowledging Christ

⁸ “And I say to you, anyone who acknowledges^(O) me before others, the Son of Man^(P) will also acknowledge him before the angels of God,^{(Q) 9} but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.^{(R) 10} Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,^(S) but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit^(T) will not be forgiven. ¹¹ Whenever^(U) they bring you before synagogues and rulers and authorities,^(V) don’t worry^(W) about how you should defend^(X) yourselves or what you should say. ¹² For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said.”^(Y)

The Parable of the Rich Fool

¹³ Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher,^(Z) tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

¹⁴ “Friend,”^[c] he said to him, “who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard^(AA) against all greed,^(AB) because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”^(AC)

¹⁶ Then he told them a parable:^(AD) “A rich^(AE) man’s land was very productive. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? ¹⁸ I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. ¹⁹ Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy;^(AF) eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’^(AG)

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool!^(AH) This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’^(AI)

²¹ “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure^(AJ) for himself and is not rich toward God.”^(AK)

The Cure for Anxiety

²² Then he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you,^(AL) don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear.^{(AM) 23} For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens:^(AN) They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them.^(AO) Aren’t you worth much more than the birds? ²⁵ Can any of you add one moment to his life span^[d] by worrying?^{(AP) 26} If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?

²⁷ “Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon^(AQ) in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. ²⁸ If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he do for you—you of little faith?^{(AR) 29} Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. ³⁰ For the Gentile world eagerly seeks^(AS) all these things, and your Father^(AT) knows that you need them.

³¹ “But seek his kingdom,^(AU) and these things will be provided for you.^{(AV) 32} Don’t be afraid,^(AW) little flock,^(AX) because your Father delights^(AY) to give you the kingdom.^{(AZ) 33} Sell^(BA) your possessions and give to the poor.^(BB) Make money-bags^(BC) for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure^(BD) in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.^(BE)

Ready for the Master’s Return

³⁵ “Be ready for service^[e] and have your lamps lit.^{(BF) 36} You are to be like people waiting for their master^(BG) to return from the wedding banquet^(BH) so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.^{(BI) 37} Blessed will be those servants the master finds alert^(BJ) when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will get ready,^[f] have them recline at the table, then come and serve them.^{(BK) 38} If he comes in the middle of the night, or even near dawn,^[g] and finds them alert, blessed are those servants. ³⁹ But know this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming,^(BL) he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also be ready,^(BM) because the Son of Man^(BN) is coming at an hour you do not expect.”^(BO)

Rewards and Punishment

⁴¹ “Lord,” Peter asked, “are you telling this parable to us or to everyone?”

⁴² The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible manager^(BP) his master will put in charge of his household servants to give them their allotted food^(BQ) at the proper time? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’^(BR) and starts to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, ⁴⁶ that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces^[h] and assign him a place with the unfaithful.^{[i] 47} And that servant who knew his master’s will and didn’t prepare himself or do it^[j] will be severely beaten.^{(BS) 48} But the one who did not know and did what deserved^(BT) punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.^[k](BU)

Not Peace but Division

⁴⁹ “I came^(BV) to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already set ablaze! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to undergo,^(BW) and how it consumes^(BX) me until it is finished!^{(BY) 51} Do you think that I came here to bring peace on the earth?^(BZ) No, I tell you, but rather division. ⁵² From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three.

Interpreting the Time

⁵⁴ He also said to the crowds,^(CB) “When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does.^{(CC) 55} And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites!^(CD) You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this present time?^(CE)

Settling Accounts

⁵⁷ “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?^{(CF) 58} As you are going with your adversary^(CG) to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won’t drag you before the judge,^(CH) the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison.^{(CI) 59} I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.”^[m](CJ)

27 Job continued his discourse, saying:

Love: The Superior Way

13 If I speak human or angelic tongues^[a] but do not have love,^(A) I am a noisy gong^(B) or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy^(C) and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains^(D) but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient,^(E) love is kind. Love does not envy,^(F) is not boastful, is not arrogant,^{(G) 5} is not rude, is not self-seeking,^(H) is not irritable,^(I) and does not keep a record of wrongs. ⁶ Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.^{(J) 7} It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures^(K) all things.

⁸ Love never ends.^(L) But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. ⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. ¹² For now we see only a reflection^[c] as in a mirror, but then face to face.^(M) Now I know in part, but then I will know fully,^(N) as I am fully known.^{(O) 13} Now these three remain: faith, hope,^(P) and love—but the greatest of these is love.