Old/New Testament
Manna and Quail Provided
16 Later, they left Elim, and the whole congregation of the Israelis came to the desert[a] of Sin, which lay between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. 2 The whole congregation of the Israelis complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert. 3 The Israelis told them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt when we sat by the cooking pots,[b] when we ate bread until we were filled—because you brought us to this desert to kill this entire congregation with hunger.”
4 The Lord told Moses, “Listen very carefully! I’ll cause food to rain down for you from heaven, and the people are to go out and gather each day’s portion on that day. In this way I’ll test them to demonstrate whether or not they’ll live according to my instructions. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be double what they gather on other days.”[c]
6 So Moses and Aaron addressed the entire congregation of the Israelis: “This evening you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaints against him.[d] After all, who are we that you complain against us?” 8 Moses also said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread in the morning to satisfy you, the Lord will hear your complaints directed[e] against him. Who are we? Your complaints aren’t against us, but rather against the Lord.”
9 Then Moses instructed Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelis, ‘Come near into the Lord’s presence, because he has heard your complaints.’”
10 While Aaron was speaking to all the congregation of the Israelis, they turned toward the desert, and there the glory of the Lord was seen in the cloud. 11 The Lord told Moses, 12 “I’ve heard the complaints of the Israelis. Tell them, ‘At twilight you are to eat meat and in the morning you are to be filled with bread, so you may know that I am the Lord your God.’”
13 Later that evening quail came up and covered the camp, and then in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew evaporated,[f] on the surface of the desert a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost, appeared on the ground. 15 When the Israelis saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?”,[g] because they did not know what it was.
Moses told them, “It’s the food that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘You are to gather from it what each person is to eat,[h] about one omer[i] per person according to the number of your people, and one person is to gather for everyone in his tent.’”
17 The Israelis did this, some gathering much, some little. 18 When they measured it with a vessel the capacity of which was one omer,[j] the one who gathered much did not have an excess, while the one who gathered little did not lack. They gathered exactly what each needed to eat.[k]
19 Then Moses told them, “No one is to leave any of it until morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses—some people left part of it until morning, and it produced maggots and smelled bad, so Moses got angry at them. 21 Every morning they gathered it, according to what each needed to eat; and when the sun became hot, it melted.
22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, about two omers[l] per person. Then all the leaders of the congregation came and reported to Moses, 23 and he told them, “This is what the Lord said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath observance, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil, and put aside whatever remains to be kept for yourselves until morning.’” 24 So they put it away until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not smell bad, and there were no maggots in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, since today is a Sabbath to the Lord, and today you won’t find it in the field. 26 For six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there won’t be any.”[m]
27 Nevertheless, that seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any. 28 Then the Lord asked Moses, “How long will you people[n] refuse to keep my commandments and my instructions?[o] 29 You see that the Lord has given you the Sabbath, and so on the sixth day he gives you food for two days. Let each person stay where he is; let no one leave his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 The Israelis named it[p] “manna”.[q] It was white like coriander seed, and tasted like a wafer made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Set aside one omer[r] of it for future generations, so that they may see the food with which I fed you in the desert when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”
33 Then Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar, fill it with about one omer[s] of manna, and place it in the Lord’s presence, to be preserved throughout future generations.” 34 So Aaron placed it before the Testimony[t] to be kept, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 35 The Israelis ate manna for 40 years until they came to a land where they could settle.[u] They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 Now one omer[v] is a tenth of an ephah.[w]
God Provides Water from a Rock(A)
17 The whole congregation of the Israelis set out from the desert[x] of Sin, traveling from place to place according to the command[y] of the Lord. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
2 The people quarreled with Moses: “Give us water to drink.”
Moses told them, “Why are you quarreling with me? Why are you testing the Lord?”
3 But the people were thirsty there for water, so they[z] complained against Moses: “Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”
4 So Moses cried out to the Lord: “What am I to do with these people? Just a little more and they’ll stone me.”
5 Then the Lord told Moses, “Go over in front of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I’ll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock and water will come out of it, so the people can drink.” Moses did this in front of the elders of Israel.
7 He named the place Massah[aa] and Meribah,[ab] because the Israelis quarreled and tested the Lord by saying: “Is the Lord really among us or not?”
The Amalekites Fight the Israelis
8 After this, the Amalekites came and fought with the Israelis at Rephidim. 9 Moses told Joshua, “Choose some men for us and go out to fight against the Amalekites. Tomorrow I’ll stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses raised his hand, the Israelis prevailed, but when his hand remained at his side,[ac] then the Amalekites prevailed. 12 When Moses’ hands became heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, and so his hands were steady until the sun went down. 13 Joshua defeated[ad] Amalek and his army using swords.
14 Then the Lord told Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to[ae] Joshua: ‘I’ll certainly wipe out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven.’” 15 Moses built an altar and named it “The Lord is My Banner.” 16 “Because,” he said, “a fist has been raised in defiance[af] against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will wage war against Amalek from generation to generation.”
Jethro Visits Moses
18 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken back Moses’ wife Zipporah after she had been sent away, 3 along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom, because he would say, “I was an alien[ag] in a foreign land,” 4 while the name of the other was Eliezer,[ah] because he would say,[ai] “My father’s God helped me and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”
5 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, together with Moses’ two sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert where he was camped at the mountain of God.[aj] 6 He told Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you along with your wife and her two sons.” 7 When Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, he bowed low and kissed him, and they greeted one another. Then they went into the tent.
8 Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on Israel’s behalf, all the hardships that they had encountered along the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 Jethro rejoiced over all the good that the Lord had done for Israel in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from the oppression[ak] of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods,[al] because of what happened to[am] the Egyptians when[an] they acted arrogantly against Israel.” 12 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to dine with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
Jethro Advises Moses to Appoint Judges
13 The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until 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 alone sit as judge,[ao] with all the people standing around you from morning until evening?”
15 Moses told his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.[ap] 16 When they have a dispute, it comes to me and I decide between a person and his neighbor, and make known the statutes of God and his instructions.”
17 Moses’ father-in-law told him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You will certainly wear yourself out, both you and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot do it by yourself. 19 Now listen to me. I’ll advise you, and may God be with you. You are to represent the people before God and bring the disputes to God. 20 You are to teach them the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they’re to go and the things they’re to do. 21 You are to look for capable men among the people, men who fear God, men of integrity who hate dishonest gain. You are to set these men over them as officials over thousands, hundreds,[aq] fifties,[ar] and tens.[as] 22 They are to judge the people at all times. Let them bring every major matter to you, but let them judge every minor matter. It will lighten your burden, and they’ll bear it with you. 23 If you do this,[at] and God so commands you, you will be able to stand the strain,[au] and all these people will also go to their homes in peace.”
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 Moses chose capable men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officials over thousands, hundreds,[av] fifties,[aw] and tens.[ax] 26 They judged the people at all times; the difficult matters they brought to Moses, but every minor matter they judged. 27 Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and he went to his own land.
True Greatness(A)
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom from[a] heaven?”
2 Calling a little child forward, he had him stand among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell all of you[b] with certainty, unless you change[c] and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom from[d] heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom from[e] heaven, 5 and whoever receives a little child like this in my name receives me.”
Causing Others to Sin(B)
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a large millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned at the bottom of the sea. 7 How terrible it will be for the world due to its temptations to sin! Temptations to sin are bound to happen, but how terrible it will be for that person who causes someone to sin!
8 “So if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life injured or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell[f] fire.
10 “See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, because I tell you, their angels in heaven always have access to my Father in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man came to save the lost.”[g]
The Parable about the Faithful Shepherd(C)
12 “What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep and one of them strays, he leaves the 99 in the hills and goes to look for the one that has strayed, doesn’t he? 13 If he finds it, I tell all of you[h] with certainty that he rejoices over it more than over the 99 that haven’t strayed. 14 In the same way, it is not the will of your[i] Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”
Dealing with a Brother who Sins(D)
15 “If your brother sins against you,[j] go and confront him while the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. 16 But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two others with you so that ‘every word may be confirmed by the testimony[k] of two or three witnesses.’[l] 17 If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation.[m] If he also ignores the congregation,[n] regard him as an unbeliever[o] and a tax collector.
18 “I tell all of you[p] with certainty, whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibited[q] in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted[r] in heaven. 19 Furthermore, I tell all of you[s] with certainty that if two of you agree on earth about anything you request, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven, 20 because where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them.”
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