Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Song of Ascents
The Guardian of God’s People
121 I lift up my eyes toward the mountains—
from where will my help come?
2 My help is from the Lord,
maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will never let[a] your foot slip,
nor[b] will[c] your guardian become drowsy.
4 Look! The one who is guarding Israel
never sleeps and does not take naps.
5 The Lord is your guardian;
the Lord is your shade at your right side.
6 The sun will not ravage you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Death of the Firstborn in Egypt
29 And so at midnight the Lord struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. 30 Pharaoh got up during the night, he, all his officials,[a] and all the Egyptians, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, because there was not a house without someone dead in it. 31 Then he summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and told them: “Get up, go out from among my people, both you and the Israelis! Go, serve[b] the Lord as you have said. 32 Take both your sheep and your cattle, just as you demanded[c] and go! And bless me too!”
33 The Egyptian officials[d] urged the people to send them out of the land quickly, because they were saying, “We’ll all be dead!” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their cloaks on their shoulders. 35 Meanwhile, the Israelis had done as Moses said;[e] they had asked the Egyptians for objects of silver and objects of gold, and for clothes. 36 The Lord had given the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that they gave them what they requested. As a result, they plundered the Egyptians.
The Exodus Begins
37 About 600,000 Israeli men traveled from Rameses to Succoth on foot, not counting children. 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with a very large number of livestock, including sheep and cattle. 39 They baked the dough that they brought out of Egypt into thin cakes of unleavened bread. It had not been leavened because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.
40 Now the time that the Israelis lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 At the end of 430 years, to the very day, all the tribal divisions of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42 That was for the Lord a night of vigil[f] to bring them out of the land of Egypt. This same night belongs to the Lord, and is to be a vigil for all the Israelis from generation to generation.
Obey Your Government
13 Every person must be subject to the governing authorities, for no authority exists except by God’s permission.[a] The existing authorities have been established by God, 2 so that whoever resists the authorities opposes what God has established, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For the authorities are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to live without being afraid of the authorities? Then do what is right, and you will receive their approval. 4 For they are God’s servants, working for your good.
But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God’s servants to administer punishment[b] to anyone who does wrong. 5 Therefore, it is necessary for you to be acquiescent to the authorities,[c] not only for the sake of God’s[d] punishment,[e] but also for the sake of your own conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes. For rulers[f] are God’s servants faithfully devoting themselves to their work.[g] 7 Pay everyone whatever you owe them—taxes to whom taxes are due, tolls to whom tolls are due, fear[h] to whom fear[i] is due, honor to whom honor is due.
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