Tuesday, 13 February

1.   Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: 2.   Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3.   Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4.   Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 5.   All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already ). 6.   And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. 7.   But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. 8.   Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9.   And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; 10.   "come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land." 11.   Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12.   But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. 13.   So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. 14.   And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage––in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor. 15.   Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; 16.   and he said, "When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live." 17.   But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. 18.   So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?" 19.   And the midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them." 20.   Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. 21.   And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them. 22.   So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive."

1.   And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. 2.   So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child , she hid him three months. 3.   But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. 4.   And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. 5.   Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. 6.   And when she had opened it , she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion 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 a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?" 8.   And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, "Go." So the maiden 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.   And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, "Because I drew him out of the water." 11.   Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12.   So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13.   And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, "Why are you striking your companion?" 14.   Then he said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" So Moses feared and said, "Surely this thing is known!" 15.   When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well. 16.   Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17.   Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 18.   When they came to Reuel their father, he said, "How is it that you have come so soon today?" 19.   And they said, "An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock." 20.   So he said to his daughters, "And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread." 21.   Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. 22.   And she bore him a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, "I have been a stranger in a foreign land."

1.   "Surely there is a mine for silver, And a place where gold is refined. 2.   Iron is taken from the earth, And copper is smelted from ore. 3.   Man puts an end to darkness, And searches every recess For ore in the darkness and the shadow of death. 4.   He breaks open a shaft away from people; In places forgotten by feet They hang far away from men; They swing to and fro. 5.   As for the earth, from it comes bread, But underneath it is turned up as by fire; 6.   Its stones are the source of sapphires, And it contains gold dust. 7.   That path no bird knows, Nor has the falcon’s eye seen it. 8.   The proud lions have not trodden it, Nor has the fierce lion passed over it. 9.   He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the roots. 10.   He cuts out channels in the rocks, And his eye sees every precious thing. 11.   He dams up the streams from trickling; What is hidden he brings forth to light. 12.   "But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? 13.   Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. 14.   The deep says, ‘ It is not in me’; And the sea says, ‘ It is not with me.’ 15.   It cannot be purchased for gold, Nor can silver be weighed for its price. 16.   It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx or sapphire. 17.   Neither gold nor crystal can equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold. 18.   No mention shall be made of coral or quartz, For the price of wisdom is above rubies. 19.   The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold. 20.   "From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? 21.   It is hidden from the eyes of all living, And concealed from the birds of the air. 22.   Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a report about it with our ears.’ 23.   God understands its way, And He knows its place. 24.   For He looks to the ends of the earth, And sees under the whole heavens, 25.   To establish a weight for the wind, And apportion the waters by measure. 26.   When He made a law for the rain, And a path for the thunderbolt, 27.   Then He saw wisdom and declared it; He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out. 28.   And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.’"

57.   And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58.   But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end. 59.   Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60.   but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward 61.   and said, "This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’" 62.   And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" 63.   But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" 64.   Jesus said to him, " It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." 65.   Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66.   "What do you think?" They answered and said, "He is deserving of death." 67.   Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, 68.   saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?" 69.   Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee." 70.   But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying." 71.   And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth." 72.   But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!" 73.   And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you." 74.   Then he began to curse and swear, saying , "I do not know the Man!" Immediately a rooster crowed. 75.   And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly.