Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Passover is Instituted

12 The Lord told Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, ² “This month will mark the beginning of months for you. It will be the first month of the year for you. ³ Tell the entire congregation of Israel, ‘On the tenth of this month they’re each to take a lamb for themselves, according to their ancestors’ households, one lamb for each household. ⁴ If a household is too small for a lamb, then it and its closest neighbor are to obtain one based on the number of individuals—dividing^[a] the lamb based on what each person can eat. ⁵ Your lamb is to be a year old male without blemish. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ⁶ It is to remain under your care until the fourteenth day of this month, and then the entire assembly of the congregation of Israel is to slaughter it at twilight. ⁷ They’re to take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat the lamb.^{[b] 8} That very night they’re to eat the meat, roasted over the fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ⁹ Don’t eat any of it raw or boiled in water. Instead, roast it over the fire, with its head, legs, and internal organs. ¹⁰ Don’t leave any of it until morning, and whatever does remain of it until morning you are to burn in the fire.

¹¹ “‘This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it hurriedly—it’s the Lord’s Passover. ¹² I’ll pass through the land of Egypt that night and strike every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both people and animals. I’ll execute judgments on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. ¹³ The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are. I’ll see the blood and pass over you. There will be no plague to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

¹⁴ “‘This day is to be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it as a perpetual ordinance from generation to generation.

A Song About Rejoicing in God

Love One Another

⁸ Do not owe anyone anything—except to love one another. For the one who loves another has fulfilled the Law. ⁹ For the commandments, “You must not commit adultery; you must not murder; you must not steal; you must not covet,”^[a] and every other commandment are summed up in this statement: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”^{[b] 10} Love never does anything that is harmful to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the Law.

Live in the Light of the Messiah’s Return

¹¹ This is necessary because you know the times—it’s already time for you to wake up from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we became believers. ¹² The night is almost over, and the day is near. Let’s therefore put aside the actions of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let’s behave decently, as people who live in the light of day.^[c] No wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, quarreling, or jealousy! ¹⁴ Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,^[d] and do not obey your flesh and its desires.

Dealing with a Brother who Sins^(A)

¹⁵ “If your brother sins against you,^[a] 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^[b] of two or three witnesses.’^{[c] 17} If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation.^[d] If he also ignores the congregation,^[e] regard him as an unbeliever^[f] and a tax collector.

¹⁸ “I tell all of you^[g] with certainty, whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibited^[h] in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted^[i] in heaven. ¹⁹ Furthermore, I tell all of you^[j] 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.”