Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
8 Now a new (A)king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 (B)He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are [a]more and mightier than we. 10 Come, let us (C)deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and [b]in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and [c]depart from the land.” 11 So they appointed (D)taskmasters over them to afflict them with [d](E)hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh (F)storage cities, Pithom and (G)Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, (H)the more they multiplied and the more they [e]spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel. 13 The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel (I)to labor rigorously; 14 and they made (J)their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously [f]imposed on them.
15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom [g]was named Shiphrah and the other [h]was named Puah; 16 and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, (K)if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives [i](L)feared God, and (M)did not do as the king of Egypt had [j]commanded them, but let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife [k]can get to them.” 20 So (N)God was good to the midwives, and (O)the people multiplied, and became very [l]mighty. 21 Because the midwives [m](P)feared God, He [n](Q)established [o]households for them. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “(R)Every son who is born [p]you are to cast into (S)the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”
The Birth of Moses
2 Now a man from (T)the house of Levi went and [q]married a daughter of Levi. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw [r]that he was [s](U)beautiful, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a [t](V)wicker [u]basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the (W)reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4 (X)His sister stood at a distance to [v]find out what would [w]happen to him.
5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down (Y)to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the [x]basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. 6 When she opened it, she [y]saw the child, and behold, the [z]boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call [aa]a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?” 8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and (Z)he became her son. And she named him [ab]Moses, and said, “Because I [ac]drew him out of the water.”
Praise for Rescue from Enemies.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
124 “(A)Had it not been the Lord who was on our side,”
(B)Let Israel now say,
2 “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side
When men rose up against us,
3 Then they would have (C)swallowed us alive,
When their (D)anger was kindled against us;
4 Then the (E)waters would have engulfed us,
The stream would have [a]swept over our soul;
5 Then the (F)raging waters would have [b]swept over our soul.”
Dedicated Service
12 Therefore (A)I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to (B)present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, [a]acceptable to God, which is your [b]spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not (C)be conformed to (D)this [c]world, but be transformed by the (E)renewing of your mind, so that you may [d](F)prove what the will of God is, that which is good and [e]acceptable and perfect.
3 For through (G)the grace given to me I say to everyone among you (H)not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to (I)each a measure of faith. 4 For (J)just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, (K)who are many, are (L)one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that (M)differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if (N)prophecy, [f]according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if [g](O)service, in his serving; or he who (P)teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who (Q)exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with [h](R)liberality; (S)he who [i]leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with (T)cheerfulness.
Peter’s Confession of Christ
13 (A)Now when Jesus came into the district of (B)Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that (C)the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say (D)John the Baptist; and others, [a](E)Elijah; but still others, [b]Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are [c](F)the Christ, (G)the Son of (H)the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, (I)Simon [d]Barjona, because (J)flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 I also say to you that you are [e](K)Peter, and upon this [f]rock I will build My church; and the gates of (L)Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you (M)the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and (N)whatever you bind on earth [g]shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth [h]shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 (O)Then He [i]warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was [j](P)the Christ.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.