Thursday, 15 February

18.   So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father–in–law, and said to him, "Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace." 19.   And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead." 20.   Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 21.   And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22.   "Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: "Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23.   "So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn."’" 24.   And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the LORD met him and sought to kill him. 25.   Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses ‘ feet, and said, "Surely you are a husband of blood to me!" 26.   So He let him go. Then she said, " You are a husband of blood!" ––because of the circumcision. 27.   And the LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he went and met him on the mountain of God, and kissed him. 28.   So Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him. 29.   Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. 30.   And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. 31.   So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

1.   Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’" 2.   And Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go." 3.   So they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword." 4.   Then the king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor." 5.   And Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!" 6.   So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, 7.   "You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8.   "And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9.   "Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words." 10.   And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, "Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw. 11.   ‘Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.’" 12.   So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. 13.   And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, "Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw." 14.   Also the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, "Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?" 15.   Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, "Why are you dealing thus with your servants? 16.   "There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, ‘Make brick!’ And indeed your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people." 17.   But he said, "You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ 18.   "Therefore go now and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the quota of bricks." 19.   And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble after it was said, "You shall not reduce any bricks from your daily quota." 20.   Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. 21.   And they said to them, "Let the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us." 22.   So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? 23.   "For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all."

1.   "But now they mock at me, men younger than I, Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock. 2.   Indeed, what profit is the strength of their hands to me? Their vigor has perished. 3.   They are gaunt from want and famine, Fleeing late to the wilderness, desolate and waste, 4.   Who pluck mallow by the bushes, And broom tree roots for their food. 5.   They were driven out from among men , They shouted at them as at a thief. 6.   They had to live in the clefts of the valleys, In caves of the earth and the rocks. 7.   Among the bushes they brayed, Under the nettles they nestled. 8.   They were sons of fools, Yes, sons of vile men; They were scourged from the land. 9.   "And now I am their taunting song; Yes, I am their byword. 10.   They abhor me, they keep far from me; They do not hesitate to spit in my face. 11.   Because He has loosed my bowstring and afflicted me, They have cast off restraint before me. 12.   At my right hand the rabble arises; They push away my feet, And they raise against me their ways of destruction. 13.   They break up my path, They promote my calamity; They have no helper. 14.   They come as broad breakers; Under the ruinous storm they roll along. 15.   Terrors are turned upon me; They pursue my honor as the wind, And my prosperity has passed like a cloud. 16.   "And now my soul is poured out because of my plight ; The days of affliction take hold of me. 17.   My bones are pierced in me at night, And my gnawing pains take no rest. 18.   By great force my garment is disfigured; It binds me about as the collar of my coat. 19.   He has cast me into the mire, And I have become like dust and ashes. 20.   "I cry out to You, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You regard me. 21.   But You have become cruel to me; With the strength of Your hand You oppose me. 22.   You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride on it ; You spoil my success. 23.   For I know that You will bring me to death, And to the house appointed for all living. 24.   "Surely He would not stretch out His hand against a heap of ruins, If they cry out when He destroys it . 25.   Have I not wept for him who was in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor? 26.   But when I looked for good, evil came to me ; And when I waited for light, then came darkness. 27.   My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest; Days of affliction confront me. 28.   I go about mourning, but not in the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help. 29.   I am a brother of jackals, And a companion of ostriches. 30.   My skin grows black and falls from me; My bones burn with fever. 31.   My harp is turned to mourning, And my flute to the voice of those who weep.

27.   Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28.   And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29.   When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 30.   Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31.   And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. 32.   Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. 33.   And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, 34.   they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it , He would not drink. 35.   Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots." 36.   Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37.   And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38.   Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. 39.   And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40.   and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." 41.   Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42.   "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43.   "He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’" 44.   Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.