Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁸ Now there arose a new king over Egypt. He knew nothing about Yosef ⁹ but said to his people, “Look, the descendants of Isra’el have become a people too numerous and powerful for us. ¹⁰ Come, let’s use wisdom in dealing with them. Otherwise, they’ll continue to multiply; and in the event of war they might ally themselves with our enemies, fight against us and leave the land altogether.”

¹¹ So they put slavemasters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built for Pharaoh the storage cities of Pitom and Ra‘amses. ¹² But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more they multiplied and expanded, until the Egyptians came to dread the people of Isra’el ¹³ and worked them relentlessly, ¹⁴ making their lives bitter with hard labor — digging clay, making bricks, all kinds of field work; and in all this toil they were shown no mercy.

¹⁵ Moreover, the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shifrah and the other Pu‘ah. ¹⁶ “When you attend the Hebrew women and see them giving birth,” he said, “if it’s a boy, kill him; but if it’s a girl, let her live.” ¹⁷ However, the midwives were God-fearing women, so they didn’t do as the king of Egypt ordered but let the boys live. (ii) ¹⁸ The king of Egypt summoned the midwives and demanded of them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?” ¹⁹ The midwives answered Pharaoh, “It’s because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women — they go into labor and give birth before the midwife arrives.” ²⁰ Therefore God prospered the midwives, and the people continued to multiply and grow very powerful. ²¹ Indeed, because the midwives feared God, he made them founders of families. ²² Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every boy that is born, throw in the river; but let all the girls live.”

2 A man from the family of Levi took a woman also descended from Levi as his wife. ² When she conceived and had a son, upon seeing what a fine child he was, she hid him for three months. ³ When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket, coated it with clay and tar, put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the riverbank. ⁴ His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

⁵ The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river while her maids-in-attendance walked along the riverside. Spotting the basket among the reeds, she sent her slave-girl to get it. ⁶ She opened it and looked inside, and there in front of her was a crying baby boy! Moved with pity, she said, “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children.” ⁷ At this point, his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Would you like me to go and find you one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” ⁸ Pharaoh’s daughter answered, “Yes, go.” So the girl went and called the baby’s own mother. ⁹ Pharaoh’s daughter told her, “Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will pay you for doing it.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. ¹⁰ Then, when the child had grown some, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter; and she began to raise him as her son. She called him Moshe [pull out], explaining, “Because I pulled him out of the water.”

12 I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for God. This will please him; it is the logical “Temple worship” for you. ² In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of the ‘olam hazeh. Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what God wants and will agree that what he wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed. ³ For I am telling every single one of you, through the grace that has been given to me, not to have exaggerated ideas about your own importance. Instead, develop a sober estimate of yourself based on the standard which God has given to each of you, namely, trust. ⁴ For just as there are many parts that compose one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function; ⁵ so there are many of us, and in union with the Messiah we comprise one body, with each of us belonging to the others. ⁶ But we have gifts that differ and which are meant to be used according to the grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, use it to the extent of your trust; ⁷ if it is serving, use it to serve; if you are a teacher, use your gift in teaching; ⁸ if you are a counselor, use your gift to comfort and exhort; if you are someone who gives, do it simply and generously; if you are in a position of leadership, lead with diligence and zeal; if you are one who does acts of mercy, do them cheerfully.

¹³ When Yeshua came into the territory around Caesarea Philippi, he asked his talmidim, “Who are people saying the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ They said, “Well, some say Yochanan the Immerser, others Eliyahu, still others Yirmeyahu or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ “But you,” he said to them, “who do you say I am?” ¹⁶ Shim‘on Kefa answered, “You are the Mashiach, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ “Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan,” Yeshua said to him, “how blessed you are! For no human being revealed this to you, no, it was my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ I also tell you this: you are Kefa,” [which means ‘Rock,’] “and on this rock I will build my Community, and the gates of Sh’ol will not overcome it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he warned the talmidim not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.