Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah^(A)

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;^(B) others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”^(C)

¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”^(D)

¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,^(E) but by my Father in heaven.^{(F) 18} And I tell you that you are Peter,^[a](G) and on this rock I will build my church,^(H) and the gates of Hades^[b] will not overcome it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys^(I) of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be^[c] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[d] loosed in heaven.”^{(J) 20} Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone^(K) that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Predicts His Death^(L)

²¹ From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem^(M) and suffer many things^(N) at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,^(O) and that he must be killed^(P) and on the third day^(Q) be raised to life.^(R)

²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

²³ Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!^(S) You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^{(T) 25} For whoever wants to save their life^[e] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.^{(U) 26} What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man^(V) is going to come^(W) in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.^(X)

²⁸ “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

The Transfiguration^(A)(B)

17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John^(C) the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

⁴ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.^(D) Listen to him!”^(E)

⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”^{(F) 8} When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone^(G) what you have seen, until the Son of Man^(H) has been raised from the dead.”^(I)

¹⁰ The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

¹¹ Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.^{(J) 12} But I tell you, Elijah has already come,^(K) and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished.^(L) In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer^(M) at their hands.” ¹³ Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.^(N)

6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand^(A) he will let them go;^(B) because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”^(C)

² God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord.^{(D) 3} I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,^[a](E) but by my name^(F) the Lord^[b](G) I did not make myself fully known to them. ⁴ I also established my covenant^(H) with them to give them the land^(I) of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners.^{(J) 5} Moreover, I have heard the groaning^(K) of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.^(L)

⁶ “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.^(M) I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem^(N) you with an outstretched arm^(O) and with mighty acts of judgment.^{(P) 7} I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.^(Q) Then you will know^(R) that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. ⁸ And I will bring you to the land^(S) I swore^(T) with uplifted hand^(U) to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.^(V) I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”^(W)

⁹ Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.^(X)

¹⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹¹ “Go, tell^(Y) Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”^(Z)

¹² But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen^(AA) to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips^[c]?”^(AB)

Family Record of Moses and Aaron

¹³ Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.^(AC)

²⁶ It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt^(AY) by their divisions.”^{(AZ) 27} They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh^(BA) king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.^(BB)

Aaron to Speak for Moses

²⁸ Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, ²⁹ he said to him, “I am the Lord.^(BC) Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”

³⁰ But Moses said to the Lord, “Since I speak with faltering lips,^(BD) why would Pharaoh listen to me?”

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God^(BE) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.^{(BF) 2} You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. ³ But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,^(BG) and though I multiply my signs and wonders^(BH) in Egypt, ⁴ he will not listen^(BI) to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment^(BJ) I will bring out my divisions,^(BK) my people the Israelites. ⁵ And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord^(BL) when I stretch out my hand^(BM) against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

⁶ Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded^(BN) them. ⁷ Moses was eighty years old^(BO) and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

⁸ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ⁹ “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,^(BP)’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”^(BQ)

¹⁰ So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. ¹¹ Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers,^(BR) and the Egyptian magicians^(BS) also did the same things by their secret arts:^{(BT) 12} Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. ¹³ Yet Pharaoh’s heart^(BU) became hard and he would not listen^(BV) to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Blood

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding;^(BW) he refuses to let the people go. ¹⁵ Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river.^(BX) Confront him on the bank of the Nile,^(BY) and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. ¹⁶ Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship^(BZ) me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.^{(CA) 17} This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord:^(CB) With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.^{(CC) 18} The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;^(CD) the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’”^(CE)

¹⁹ The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff^(CF) and stretch out your hand^(CG) over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels^[e] of wood and stone.”

²⁰ Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded.^(CH) He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,^(CI) and all the water was changed into blood.^{(CJ) 21} The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

²² But the Egyptian magicians^(CK) did the same things by their secret arts,^(CL) and Pharaoh’s heart^(CM) became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. ²³ Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. ²⁴ And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water^(CN), because they could not drink the water of the river.

The Plague of Frogs

²⁵ Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.