Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

God’s Rescue of Israel from Egypt.

God Leads the People

¹⁷ Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “^(A)The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” ¹⁸ Therefore God led the people around by way of the wilderness to the ^[a]Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up ^(B)in battle formation from the land of Egypt. ¹⁹ And Moses took ^(C)the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will certainly ^[b]take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.” ²⁰ Then they set out from ^(D)Succoth and camped in Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. ²¹ And ^(E)the Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, so that they might ^[c]travel by day and by night. ^22 [d]He ^(F)did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from the presence of the people.

^11 (A)For this is the message ^(B)which you have heard from the beginning, ^(C)that we are to love one another; ¹² not as ^(D)Cain, who was of ^(E)the evil one and murdered his brother. And for what reason did he murder him? Because ^(F)his own deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.

¹³ Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if ^(G)the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have ^(H)passed out of death into life, ^(I)because we love the brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death. ¹⁵ Everyone who ^(J)hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that ^(K)no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. ¹⁶ We know love by this, that ^(L)He laid down His life for us; and ^(M)we ought to lay down our lives for the ^(N)brothers and sisters.