Sunday, 25 February

1.   Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2.   Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, "Give us water, that we may drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the LORD?" 3.   And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, "Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" 4.   So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!" 5.   And the LORD said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. 6.   "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7.   So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" 8.   Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9.   And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." 10.   So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11.   And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12.   But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13.   So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14.   Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." 15.   And Moses built an altar and called its name, The–LORD–Is–My–Banner; 16.   for he said, "Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."

1.   And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father–in–law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people––that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2.   Then Jethro, Moses’ father–in–law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, 3.   with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, "I have been a stranger in a foreign land") 4.   and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said , "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh"); 5.   and Jethro, Moses’ father–in–law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6.   Now he had said to Moses, "I, your father–in–law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her." 7.   So Moses went out to meet his father–in–law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well–being, and they went into the tent. 8.   And Moses told his father–in–law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. 9.   Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10.   And Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11.   "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them." 12.   Then Jethro, Moses’ father–in–law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father–in–law before God.

1.   <> Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my meditation. 2.   Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. 3.   My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. 4.   For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. 5.   The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. 6.   You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. 7.   But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. 8.   Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face. 9.   For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part is destruction; Their throat is an open tomb; They flatter with their tongue. 10.   Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, For they have rebelled against You. 11.   But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. 12.   For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

1.   <> O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure. 2.   Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled. 3.   My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O LORD––how long? 4.   Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake! 5.   For in death there is no remembrance of You; In the grave who will give You thanks? 6.   I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. 7.   My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies. 8.   Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. 9.   The LORD has heard my supplication; The LORD will receive my prayer. 10.   Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.

1.   <> O LORD my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me; And deliver me, 0.   2Lest they tear me like a lion, Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver. 3.   O LORD my God, if I have done this: If there is iniquity in my hands, 4.   If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me, Or have plundered my enemy without cause, 5.   Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me ; Yes, let him trample my life to the earth, And lay my honor in the dust. Selah 6.   Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; Rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded! 7.   So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You; For their sakes, therefore, return on high. 8.   The LORD shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me. 9.   Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. 10.   My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart. 11.   God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day. 12.   If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready. 13.   He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts. 14.   Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity; Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood. 15.   He made a pit and dug it out, And has fallen into the ditch which he made. 16.   His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown. 17.   I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

26.   Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27.   And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28.   saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!" 29.   But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men. 30.   "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31.   "Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32.   "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." 33.   When they heard this , they were furious and plotted to kill them. 34.   Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35.   And he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36.   "For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. 37.   "After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38.   "And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39.   "but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it––lest you even be found to fight against God." 40.   And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them , they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41.   So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42.   And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.