Israel Increases Greatly in Egypt

1 ^aThese are the names of the sons of Israel ^bwho came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were ^cseventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 ^dThen Joseph died, ^eand all his brothers and all that generation. 7 ^fBut the people of Israel were ^gfruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

Pharaoh Oppresses Israel

8 ^hNow there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 ⁱCome, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to ^jafflict them with heavy ^kburdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they ^lspread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ^mruthlessly made the people of Israel ⁿwork as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with ^ohard service, in mortar and ^pbrick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, ^qif it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 ^rBut the midwives ^sfeared God and ^tdid not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, ^u“Every son that is born to the Hebrews¹ you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

The Birth of Moses

1 ^vNow a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and ^wwhen she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 ^xWhen she could hide him no longer, she took for him a ^ybasket made of bulrushes¹ and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. 4 And his ^zsister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity 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 you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 And 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 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”²

Moses Flees to Midian

11 ^aOne day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their ^bburdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.³ 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 ^cWhen he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14 He answered, ^d“Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15 ^eWhen Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses ^ffled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down ^gby a well.

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and ^hdrew water and filled the troughs to water ⁱtheir father’s flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away, ^jbut Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21 And Moses ^kwas content to dwell with the man, and ^lhe gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. 22 She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, ^m“I have been a ⁿsojourner⁴ in a foreign land.”

God Hears Israel’s Groaning

23 During those many days ^othe king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. ^pTheir cry for rescue from slavery ^qcame up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and ^rGod remembered his covenant ^swith Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God ^tsaw the people of Israel—and God knew.

I Cry Out Day and Night Before You

A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to ^sMahalath Leannoth. A Maskil¹ of Heman the Ezrahite.

The Widow’s Offering

1 ^tJesus¹ looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the ^uoffering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.² 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

5 ^vAnd while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will ^wnot be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 7 ^xAnd they asked him, “Teacher, ^ywhen will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” 8 And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. 9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but ^zthe end will not be at once.”

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 ^aBut before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the ^bsynagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before ^ckings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 This will be your ^dopportunity to bear witness. 14 ^eSettle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for I will ^fgive you a mouth and wisdom, which ^gnone of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be delivered up even by ^hparents and brothers³ and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to ⁱdeath. 17 You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 ^jBy your endurance you will gain your lives.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem

20 ^k“But when you see Jerusalem ^lsurrounded by armies, then know that its ^mdesolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee ⁿto the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are ^odays of vengeance, to ^pfulfill all that is written. 23 ^qAlas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and ^rwrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be ^strampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

25 ^t“And there will be signs in ^usun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the ^vpowers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man ^wcoming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your ^xredemption is drawing ^ynear.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29 ^zAnd he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the ^akingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, ^bthis generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Watch Yourselves

34 ^c“But watch yourselves ^dlest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and ^ecares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But ^fstay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

37 And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. 38 And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.