Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Davidic Psalm[a]
God is My Refuge
91 The one who lives in the shelter of the Most High,
who rests in the shadow of the Almighty,
2 will say to the Lord,
“You are my refuge, my fortress,
and my God in whom I trust!”
9 “Lord, you are my refuge!”
Because you chose the Most High as your dwelling place,
10 no evil will fall upon you,
and no affliction will approach your tent,
11 for he will command his angels
to protect you in all your ways.
12 With their hands they will lift you up
so you will not trip over a stone.
13 You will stomp on lions and snakes;
you will trample young lions and serpents.
The Lord Speaks
14 Because he has focused his love on me,
I will deliver him.
I will protect him[a]
because he knows my name.
15 When he calls out to me,
I will answer him.
I will be with him in his[b] distress.
I will deliver him,
and I will honor him.
16 I will satisfy him with long life;
I will show him my deliverance.
10 Then the taskmasters of the people and their officials went out and told the people, “This is Pharaoh’s response: ‘I’ll no longer give you any[a] straw. 11 Go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work quotas won’t be reduced at all.’”[b] 12 So the people scattered throughout the entire land of Egypt to collect stubble[c] for straw.
13 The taskmasters pressured them by saying, “Finish your work—each day’s quota[d]—just as when you were given straw.”[e]
14 The Israeli supervisors whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten and told,[f] “Why didn’t you, both yesterday and today, fulfill[g] your quota[h] for making bricks as before?”
The Israelis’ Appeal Rejected by Pharaoh
15 The Israeli supervisors came and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why are you doing this to us?[i] 16 No straw is being given to us, yet they’re saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, we are being beaten. It’s wrong how you are treating your people!”
17 Then Pharaoh[j] said, “You are lazy, lazy! That’s why[k] you’re saying, ‘Let’s go offer sacrifices to the Lord.’ 18 Now, go! Get to work! And straw won’t be given to you, but you are to deliver the same[l] number of bricks!” 19 The Israeli supervisors realized they were in trouble when he said,[m] “You won’t reduce each day’s quota of bricks!”[n]
The Israelis Blame Moses and Moses Complains to God
20 As they left Pharaoh’s presence,[o] they met Moses and Aaron standing there.[p] 21 The supervisors[q] told them, “May the Lord look on you and judge you![r] You have made us repulsive to[s] Pharaoh and his servants. You have put[t] a sword in their hands to kill us.”
22 So Moses returned to the Lord and asked him, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why have you sent me here? 23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and you have done nothing to deliver your people.”
30 “After 40 years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached the bush[a] to look at it, the voice of the Lord said,[b] 32 ‘I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’[c] Moses became terrified and didn’t dare to look. 33 Then the Lord told him, ‘Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the oppression of my people in Egypt, I’ve heard their groans, and I’ve come down to rescue them. Now come, I’ll send you to Egypt.’[d]
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