Thursday, 22 February

1.   Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2.   "Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. 3.   "For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ 4.   "Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD." And they did so. 5.   Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, "Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" 6.   So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7.   Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. 8.   And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. 9.   So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon. 10.   And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11.   Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12.   " Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness." 13.   And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14.   "The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." 15.   And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16.   "But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17.   "And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18.   "Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen." 19.   And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20.   So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one , and it gave light by night to the other , so that the one did not come near the other all that night. 21.   Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land , and the waters were divided. 22.   So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground , and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23.   And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24.   Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25.   And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians." 26.   Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen." 27.   And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28.   Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. 29.   But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 30.   So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31.   Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.

1.   Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said: 2.   "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him ? He who rebukes God, let him answer it." 3.   Then Job answered the LORD and said: 4.   "Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. 5.   Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further." 6.   Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 7.   "Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me: 8.   "Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? 9.   Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? 10.   Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and array yourself with glory and beauty. 11.   Disperse the rage of your wrath; Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him. 12.   Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; Tread down the wicked in their place. 13.   Hide them in the dust together, Bind their faces in hidden darkness . 14.   Then I will also confess to you That your own right hand can save you. 15.   "Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; He eats grass like an ox. 16.   See now, his strength is in his hips, And his power is in his stomach muscles. 17.   He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. 18.   His bones are like beams of bronze, His ribs like bars of iron. 19.   He is the first of the ways of God; Only He who made him can bring near His sword. 20.   Surely the mountains yield food for him, And all the beasts of the field play there. 21.   He lies under the lotus trees, In a covert of reeds and marsh. 22.   The lotus trees cover him with their shade; The willows by the brook surround him. 23.   Indeed the river may rage, Yet he is not disturbed; He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth, 24.   Though he takes it in his eyes, Or one pierces his nose with a snare.

1.   "Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? 2.   Can you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook? 3.   Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you? 4.   Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever? 5.   Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will you leash him for your maidens? 6.   Will your companions make a banquet of him? Will they apportion him among the merchants? 7.   Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears? 8.   Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle––Never do it again! 9.   Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him? 10.   No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against Me? 11.   Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him ? Everything under heaven is Mine. 12.   "I will not conceal his limbs, His mighty power, or his graceful proportions. 13.   Who can remove his outer coat? Who can approach him with a double bridle? 14.   Who can open the doors of his face, With his terrible teeth all around? 15.   His rows of scales are his pride, Shut up tightly as with a seal; 16.   One is so near another That no air can come between them; 17.   They are joined one to another, They stick together and cannot be parted. 18.   His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. 19.   Out of his mouth go burning lights; Sparks of fire shoot out. 20.   Smoke goes out of his nostrils, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes. 21.   His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes out of his mouth. 22.   Strength dwells in his neck, And sorrow dances before him. 23.   The folds of his flesh are joined together; They are firm on him and cannot be moved. 24.   His heart is as hard as stone, Even as hard as the lower millstone . 25.   When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; Because of his crashings they are beside themselves. 26.   Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail; Nor does spear, dart, or javelin. 27.   He regards iron as straw, And bronze as rotten wood. 28.   The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones become like stubble to him. 29.   Darts are regarded as straw; He laughs at the threat of javelins. 30.   His undersides are like sharp potsherds; He spreads pointed marks in the mire. 31.   He makes the deep boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a pot of ointment. 32.   He leaves a shining wake behind him; One would think the deep had white hair. 33.   On earth there is nothing like him, Which is made without fear. 34.   He beholds every high thing ; He is king over all the children of pride."

1.   Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2.   being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3.   And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4.   However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. 5.   And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, 6.   as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7.   And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?" 8.   Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9.   "If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10.   "let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11.   "This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12.   "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." 13.   Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 14.   And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15.   But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16.   saying, "What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it . 17.   "But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name." 18.   And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19.   But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20.   "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." 21.   So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. 22.   For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.