Old Testament

Exodus 4-5

^4:1Moses answered, "But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, 'Yahweh has not appeared to you.'"

^4:2Yahweh said to him, "What is that in your hand?"

He said, "A rod."

^4:3He said, "Throw it on the ground."

He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.

^4:4Yahweh said to Moses, "Put forth your hand, and take it by the tail."

He put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.

^4:5"That they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." ^4:6Yahweh said furthermore to him, "Now put your hand inside your cloak."

He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

^4:7He said, "Put your hand inside your cloak again."

He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.

^4:8"It will happen, if they will neither believe you nor listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. ^4:9It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs, neither listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land."

^4:10Moses said to Yahweh, "Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."

^4:11Yahweh said to him, "Who made man's mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn't it I, Yahweh? ^4:12Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak."

^4:13He said, "Oh, Lord, please send someone else."

^4:14The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Moses, and he said, "What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes forth to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. ^4:15You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. ^4:16He will be your spokesman to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God. ^4:17You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs."

^4:18Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, "Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive."

Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

^4:19Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, "Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead."

^4:20Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God's rod in his hand. ^4:21Yahweh said to Moses, "When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. ^4:22You shall tell Pharaoh, 'Thus says Yahweh, Israel is my son, my firstborn, ^4:23and I have said to you, "Let my son go, that he may serve me;" and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.'"

^4:24It happened on the way at a lodging place, that Yahweh met him and wanted to kill him. ^4:25Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me."

^4:26So he let him alone. Then she said, "You are a bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision.

^4:27Yahweh said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses."

He went, and met him on God's mountain, and kissed him. ^4:28Moses told Aaron all the words of Yahweh with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had charged him. ^4:29Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. ^4:30Aaron spoke all the words which Yahweh had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. ^4:31The people believed, and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

^5:1Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, "This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'"

^5:2Pharaoh said, "Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don't know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go."

^5:3They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword."

^5:4The king of Egypt said to them, "Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!" ^5:5Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens." ^5:6The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, ^5:7"You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. ^5:8The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' ^5:9Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and don't let them pay any attention to lying words."

^5:10The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, This is what Pharaoh says: "I will not give you straw. ^5:11Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished." ^5:12So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. ^5:13The taskmasters were urgent saying, "Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!" ^5:14The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, "Why haven't you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?"

^5:15Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants? ^5:16No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, 'Make brick!' and, behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people."

^5:17But he said, "You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.' ^5:18Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet shall you deliver the same number of bricks!"

^5:19The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, "You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!"

^5:20They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: ^5:21and they said to them, "May Yahweh look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."

^5:22Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me? ^5:23For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; neither have you delivered your people at all."

New Testament

Mark 6

^6:1He went out from there. He came into his own country, and his disciples followed him. ^6:2When the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things?" and, "What is the wisdom that is given to this man, that such mighty works come about by his hands? ^6:3Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" They were offended at him.

^6:4Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house." ^6:5He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick folk, and healed them. ^6:6He marveled because of their unbelief.

He went around the villages teaching. ^6:7He called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ^6:8He charged them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, ^6:9but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics. ^6:10He said to them, "Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there. ^6:11Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"

^6:12They went out and preached that people should repent. ^6:13They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them. ^6:14King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, "John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him." ^6:15But others said, "It is Elijah." Others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets." ^6:16But Herod, when he heard this, said, "This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead." ^6:17For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her. ^6:18For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." ^6:19Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him, but she couldn't, ^6:20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.

^6:21Then a convenient day came, that Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. ^6:22When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you." ^6:23He swore to her, "Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom."

^6:24She went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"

She said, "The head of John the Baptizer."

^6:25She came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter."

^6:26The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn't wish to refuse her. ^6:27Immediately the king sent out a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring John's head, and he went and beheaded him in the prison, ^6:28and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young lady; and the young lady gave it to her mother.

^6:29When his disciples heard this, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

^6:30The apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught. ^6:31He said to them, "You come apart into a deserted place, and rest awhile." For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. ^6:32They went away in the boat to a desert place by themselves. ^6:33They saw them going, and many recognized him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to him. ^6:34Jesus came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things. ^6:35When it was late in the day, his disciples came to him, and said, "This place is deserted, and it is late in the day. ^6:36Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages, and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat."

^6:37But he answered them, "You give them something to eat."

They asked him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give them something to eat?"

^6:38He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go see."

When they knew, they said, "Five, and two fish."

^6:39He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass. ^6:40They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties. ^6:41He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all. ^6:42They all ate, and were filled. ^6:43They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and also of the fish. ^6:44Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

^6:45Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the multitude away. ^6:46After he had taken leave of them, he went up the mountain to pray.

^6:47When evening had come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he was alone on the land. ^6:48Seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them, about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he would have passed by them, ^6:49but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; ^6:50for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he immediately spoke with them, and said to them, "Cheer up! It is I! Don't be afraid." ^6:51He got into the boat with them; and the wind ceased, and they were very amazed among themselves, and marveled; ^6:52for they hadn't understood about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

^6:53When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. ^6:54When they had come out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, ^6:55and ran around that whole region, and began to bring those who were sick, on their mats, to where they heard he was. ^6:56Wherever he entered, into villages, or into cities, or into the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch just the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched him were made well.