Old/New Testament
Crossing the Reed Sea
14 The Lord told Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelis that they are to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You are to camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it by the sea. 3 Pharaoh will say about the Israelis, ‘They’re wandering aimlessly in the land, and the desert has closed in on them.’ 4 I’ve made Pharaoh’s heart stubborn[a] so he will pursue them. But I’ll receive honor by means of[b] Pharaoh and his army, so that the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So this is what the Israelis[c] did.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds[d] of Pharaoh and his officials[e] changed toward the people, and they said, “What have we done in releasing Israel from serving us?” 6 So Pharaoh[f] had his chariot prepared and took his troops[g] with him.
7 He took 600 of the best chariots, and all the other[h] chariots of Egypt with officers in charge of each one. 8 The Lord made the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, stubborn,[i] and he defiantly[j] pursued the Israelis as they were leaving. 9 The Egyptians pursued them—all the chariot-horses of Pharaoh, along with his horsemen and army—and they overtook them camped by the sea, near Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal Zephon.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelis looked up, and there were the Egyptians bearing down on them! Extremely frightened, the Israelis cried out to the Lord. 11 They also[k] told Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you took us out to die in the desert? What have you done to us, by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is this not what we told you in Egypt, when we said, ‘Leave us alone!’[l] and ‘Let us serve the Egyptians!’? Indeed, it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
13 Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid! Stand still and watch how the Lord will deliver you today, because you will never again see the Egyptians whom you’re looking at today. 14 The Lord will fight for you while you keep still.”
15 Then the Lord told Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelis to move out! 16 You are to raise your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it, so the Israelis may go into the middle of the sea on dry land. 17 Even now I’m hardening the heart of the Egyptians so they’ll go after the Israelis.[m] Then I’ll receive honor by means of[n] Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I receive honor by means of[o] Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19 Then the angel of God, who was going in front of the camp of Israel, moved behind them. The pillar of cloud also[p] moved from in front of them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. The cloud remained there even[q] in the darkness,[r] illuminating the night, so that the one side did not come near the other all night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the water to retreat by a strong east wind all night, turning the sea into dry land. As the waters were divided, 22 the Israelis went into the middle of the sea on dry land, and the waters formed a wall for them on their right and on their left.
23 The Egyptians pursued—all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen—and they went into the middle of the sea after them. 24 In the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian camp through the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw the Egyptian camp into confusion. 25 He made the wheels of their chariots wobble[s] so that they drove them with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let’s flee from Israel because the Lord is fighting for them and against us.”[t]
The Egyptians Drown in the Sea
26 Then the Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea and the water will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, and over their horsemen.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the water returned to its normal depth at daybreak. The Egyptians tried to retreat in front of the advancing water,[u] but the Lord destroyed[v] the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. 28 The water returned, covering the chariots and the horsemen of Pharaoh’s entire army that had pursued the Israelis into the sea. Not a single one of them remained. 29 But the Israelis walked through the middle of the sea on dry land, and the water stood like a wall for them on their right and on their left.
30 On that day the Lord delivered Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead along the seashore. 31 When Israel saw the great force[w] by which the Lord had acted against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed the Lord and Moses his servant.
The Song of Moses
15 Then Moses and the Israelis sang this song to the Lord:
“I’ll sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has thrown into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and song,[x]
and he has become my salvation.
This is my God and I’ll praise him,
the God of my father and I’ll exalt him.
3 The Lord is a man of war,
the Lord is his name!
4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
he has hurled into the sea;
his best officers sank in the Reed[y] Sea.
5 The deep covered them,
they went down into the depths like a rock.
6 Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in strength,
your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy.
7 In the greatness of your majesty
you broke down your enemies.
You sent forth your anger,
it consumed them like stubble.
8 By the breath[z] of your nostrils
the waters were piled up,
the flowing waters stood up like a hill,
the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 “The enemy said, ‘I’ll pursue them,[aa] I’ll overtake them,[ab]
I’ll divide the spoil.
I’ll satisfy my anger[ac] on them,
I’ll draw my sword,
and my hand will bring them to ruin.’
10 “You blew with your breath,[ad]
and the sea covered them;
they sank like lead in the mighty water.
11 “Who is like you among the gods, Lord?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in splendor,[ae] and working wonders?
12 You stretched out your right hand,
and the earth swallowed them.
13 “You have led with your gracious love
this people whom you redeemed.
You have guided them with your strength
to your holy dwelling.
14 “The nations[af] heard and they quaked,
anguish[ag] seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then the chiefs of Edom were terrified,
the nobles of Moab trembled uncontrollably,
and all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away.
16 Dread and fear have fallen on them,
because of the strength[ah] of your arm.
They have become silent as a stone,
until your people pass by, Lord,
until this people you acquired pass by.
17 “You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of your inheritance.
You have made a place where you will reside, Lord.
Your own hands have established a sanctuary, Lord.
18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.”
19 When the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen went into the sea, the Lord caused the waters of the sea to come back over them, but the Israelis walked through the middle of the sea on dry land.
The Song of Miriam
20 Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand and went out with all the women behind her with tambourines and dancing. 21 Miriam sang to them,
“Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted!
The horse and its rider
he has thrown into the sea.”
God Provides Water for the People
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Reed[ai] Sea and they went to the desert of Shur. They traveled into the desert for three days and did not find water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water at Marah because it was bitter. (That is why it’s called[aj] Marah.)[ak] 24 Then the people complained against Moses: “What are we to drink?” 25 Moses[al] cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, which he threw into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord[am] presented to them a statute and an ordinance, and there he tested them. 26 He said, “If you will carefully obey the Lord your God, do what he sees to be right, listen to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then I won’t inflict on you all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians, because I am the Lord your healer.” 27 Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and 70 palm trees, and they camped there by the water.
Jesus’ Appearance is Changed(A)
17 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 His appearance was changed in front of them, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.[a]
4 Then Peter told Jesus, “Lord, it’s good that we’re here! If you want, I’ll set up three shelters[b]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when a bright cloud suddenly overshadowed them.
A voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him. Keep on listening to him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
7 But Jesus came up to them and touched them, saying, “Get up, and stop being afraid.” 8 When they raised their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus all by himself.
9 On their way down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Don’t tell anyone about this vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
10 So the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11 He answered them, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, yet people[c] did not recognize him and treated him just as they pleased. In the same way, the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he had been speaking to them about John the Baptist.
Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon(B)
14 As they approached the crowd, a man came up to Jesus,[d] knelt down in front of him, 15 and said, “Sir,[e] have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and suffers terribly. Often he falls into fire and often into water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”
17 Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverted generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!” 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed that very hour.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He told them, “Because of your lack of faith.[f] I tell all of you[g] with certainty, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 But this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.”[h]
Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection(C)
22 While they were gathering together[i] in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands. 23 They will kill him, but he will be raised on the third day.” Then they were filled with grief.
Questions about the Temple Tax
24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax[j] came up to Peter and asked, “Your teacher pays the temple tax,[k] doesn’t he?”
25 He answered, “Yes.”
When Peter[l] went home,[m] Jesus spoke to him first and asked him, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings on the earth collect tolls or tributes? From their own subjects,[n] or from foreigners?”
26 “From foreigners,” he replied.
So Jesus told him, “In that case, the subjects[o] are exempt. 27 However, so that we don’t offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, open its mouth, and you will find a coin.[p] Take it and give it to them for me and you.”
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