Today's Reading

¹All the congregation of the children of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin, by their journeys, according to the Lord's commandment, and encamped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.

²Therefore the people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?"

³The people were thirsty for water there; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?"

⁴Moses cried to the Lord, saying, "What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."

⁵The Lord said to Moses, "Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go.

⁶Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

⁷He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us, or not?"

⁸Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

⁹Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us, and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with God's rod in my hand."

¹⁰So Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

¹¹It happened, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

¹²But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. His hands were steady until sunset.

¹³Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

¹⁴The Lord said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky."

¹⁵Moses built an altar, and called its name the Lord our Banner.

¹⁶He said, "Yah has sworn: 'The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.'"

¹Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, how that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

²Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away,

³and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, "I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land".

⁴The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, "My father's God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh's sword."

⁵Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God.

⁶He said to Moses, "Behold, Jethro, your father-in-law, has come to you, with your wife and her two sons with her."

⁷Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.

⁸Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how the Lord delivered them.

⁹Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

¹⁰Jethro said, "Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

¹¹Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods because of the thing in which they dealt arrogantly against them."

¹²Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all of the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.

¹³It happened on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.

¹⁴When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, "What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?"

¹⁵Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

¹⁶When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws."

¹⁷Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good.

¹⁸You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone.

¹⁹Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God.

²⁰You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.

²¹Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

²²Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you.

²³If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all of these people also will go to their place in peace."

²⁴So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.

²⁵Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

²⁶They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard causes to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

²⁷Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.

¹In the third month after the children of Israel had gone forth out of the land of Egypt, on that same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.

²When they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain.

³Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, "This is what you shall tell the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:

⁴'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to myself.

⁵Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine;

⁶and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."

⁷Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord commanded him.

⁸All the people answered together, and said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do." Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

⁹The Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever." Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

¹⁰The Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments,

¹¹and be ready against the third day; for on the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai.

¹²You shall set bounds to the people all around, saying, 'Be careful that you do not go up onto the mountain, or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain shall be surely put to death.

¹³No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether it is animal or man, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mountain."

¹⁴Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

¹⁵He said to the people, "Be ready by the third day. Do not have sexual relations with a woman."

¹⁶It happened on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet; and all the people who were in the camp trembled.

¹⁷Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lower part of the mountain.

¹⁸Mount Sinai, all it, smoked, because the Lord descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.

¹⁹When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice.

²⁰The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. The Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

²¹The Lord said to Moses, "Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.

²²Let the priests also, who come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth on them."

²³Moses said to the Lord, "The people can't come up to Mount Sinai, for you warned us, saying, 'Set bounds around the mountain, and sanctify it.'"

²⁴The Lord said to him, "Go down and you shall bring Aaron up with you, but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break forth on them."

²⁵So Moses went down to the people, and told them.

¹Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,

²saying, "Upon the seat of Moses the Pharisees and scribes sit.

³All which they will say unto you, observe and do; but their works do not do, because they say, and do not do.

⁴For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.

⁵But all their works they do to be seen by others. They make their tefillin broad and enlarge the fringe of their garments,

⁶and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

⁷the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi' by men.

⁸But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for one is your Teacher, and all of you are brothers.

⁹Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.

¹⁰Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Messiah.

¹¹But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.

¹²Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

¹³"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you do not enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter." [

¹⁴Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]

¹⁵Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much of a son of hell as yourselves.

¹⁶"Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.'

¹⁷You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

¹⁸'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?'

¹⁹You blind men! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

²⁰He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it.

²¹He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who was living in it.

²²He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.

²³"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.

²⁴You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!

²⁵"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.

²⁶You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also.

²⁷"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

²⁸Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

²⁹"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous,

³⁰and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'

³¹Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.

³²Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.

³³You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of hell?

³⁴Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city;

³⁵that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.

³⁶Truly I tell you, that all these things will come upon this generation.

³⁷"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!

³⁸Behold, your house is left to you desolate.

³⁹For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

¹ The Lord is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.

²He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

³He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.

⁶Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the Lord's house forever.

¹When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;

²put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.

³Do not be desirous of his dainties, seeing they are deceitful food.

⁴Do not weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.

⁵Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.

⁶Do not eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and do not crave his delicacies:

⁷for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

⁸The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up, and lose your good words.

⁹Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

¹⁰Do not move the ancient boundary stone. Do not encroach on the fields of the fatherless:

¹¹for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.

¹²Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.

¹³Do not withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.

¹⁴Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol.

¹⁵My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine:

¹⁶yes, my heart will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right.

¹⁷Do not let your heart envy sinners; but rather fear the Lord all the day long.

¹⁸Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁹Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!

²⁰Do not be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat:

²¹for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

²²Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

²³Buy the truth, and do not sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.

²⁴The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.

²⁵Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!

²⁶My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.

²⁷For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.

²⁸Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.

²⁹Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

³⁰Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.

³¹Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.

³²In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.

³³Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.

³⁴Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:

³⁵"They hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I do not feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I can find another."