God Promises Deliverance

²² Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people?Nu 11:11; Dt 1:12; Jos 7:7 Is this why you sent me?²³ Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescuedJer 4:10; 20:7; Eze 14:9 your people at all.”

6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty handS Ex 3:20; S Dt 5:15 he will let them go;S Ex 3:20 because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”Ex 11:1; 12:31, 33, 39

² God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord.ver 6, 7, 8, 29; Ex 3:14, 15; 7:5, 17; 8:22; 10:2; 12:12; 14:4, 18; 16:12; Lev 11:44; 18:21; 20:7; Isa 25:3; 41:20; 43:11; 49:23; 60:16; Eze 13:9; 25:17; 36:38; 37:6, 13; Joel 2:27³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,Hebrew El-ShaddaiS Ge 17:1 but by my nameS Ex 3:15; 2Sa 7:26; Ps 48:10; 61:5; 68:4; 83:18; 99:3; Isa 52:6 the LordSee note at 3:15.Ex 3:14; Jn 8:58 I did not make myself fully known to them.⁴ I also established my covenantS Ge 6:18; S 15:18 with them to give them the landS Ge 12:7; Ac 7:5; Ro 4:13; Gal 3:16; Heb 11:8-10 of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners.S Ge 17:8⁵ Moreover, I have heard the groaningS Ex 2:23; Ac 7:34 of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.S Ge 9:15

⁶ “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.ver 7; Ex 3:8; 12:17, 51; 16:1, 6; 18:1; 19:1; 20:2; 29:46; Lev 22:33; 26:13; Dt 6:12; Ps 81:10; 136:11; Jer 2:6; Hos 13:4; Am 2:10; Mic 6:4 I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeemEx 15:13; Dt 7:8; 9:26; 1Ch 17:21; Job 19:25; Ps 19:14; 34:22; 74:2; 77:15; 107:2; Isa 29:22; 35:9; 43:1; 44:23; 48:20; Jer 15:21; 31:11; 50:34 you with an outstretched armS Ex 3:19, 20; S Jer 32:21; Ac 13:17 and with mighty acts of judgment.Ex 3:20; Ps 9:16; 105:27⁷ I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.S Ge 17:7; S Ex 34:9; Eze 11:19-20; Ro 9:4 Then you will knowS ver 2; 1Ki 20:13, 28; Isa 43:10; 48:7; Eze 39:6; Joel 3:17 that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.⁸ And I will bring you to the landS Ge 12:7; Ex 3:8 I sworeJer 11:5; Eze 20:6 with uplifted handS Ge 14:22; Rev 10:5-6 to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.Ps 136:21-22 I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”Lev 18:21

⁹ Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.S Ge 34:30; Ex 2:23

¹⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses,¹¹ “Go, tellver 29 Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”S Ex 3:18

¹² But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listenS Ex 3:18 to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lipsHebrew I am uncircumcised of lips; also in verse 30?”Ex 4:10

Family Record of Moses and Aaron

¹³ Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.S Ex 3:10

²⁶ It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of EgyptS Ex 3:10 by their divisions.”Ex 7:4; 12:17, 41, 51²⁷ They were the ones who spoke to PharaohEx 5:1 king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.Nu 3:1; Ps 77:20

Aaron to Speak for Moses

²⁸ Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt,²⁹ he said to him, “I am the Lord.S ver 2 Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”

³⁰ But Moses said to the Lord, “Since I speak with faltering lips,S Ex 3:11 why would Pharaoh listen to me?”

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like GodS Ex 4:16 to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.Ex 4:15; Ac 14:12² You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country.³ But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,S Ex 4:21; Ro 9:18 and though I multiply my signs and wondersS Ex 3:20; S 10:1; Ac 7:36 in Egypt,⁴ he will not listenver 13, 16, 22; Ex 8:15, 19; 9:12; 11:9 to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgmentS Ex 3:20; Ac 7:36 I will bring out my divisions,S Ex 6:26 my people the Israelites.⁵ And the Egyptians will know that I am the LordS Ex 6:2 when I stretch out my handEx 3:20; Ps 138:7; Eze 6:14; 25:13 against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

⁶ Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commandedver 2, 10, 20; Ge 6:22 them.⁷ Moses was eighty years oldDt 31:2; 34:7; Ac 7:23, 30 and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

⁸ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,⁹ “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,Dt 6:22; 2Ki 19:29; Ps 78:43; 86:17; 105:27; 135:9; Isa 7:11; 37:30; 38:7-8; 55:13; S Jn 2:11’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”Ex 4:2-5

¹⁰ So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake.¹¹ Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers,Ex 22:18; Dt 18:10; 1Sa 6:2; 2Ki 21:6; Isa 2:6; 47:12; Jer 27:9; Mal 3:5 and the Egyptian magiciansS Ge 41:8; 2Ti 3:8 also did the same things by their secret arts:ver 22; Ex 8:7, 18; S Mt 24:24¹² Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.¹³ Yet Pharaoh’s heartS Ex 4:21 became hard and he would not listenS ver 4 to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Blood

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding;ver 22; Ex 8:15, 32; 9:7; 10:1, 20, 27 he refuses to let the people go.¹⁵ Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river.Ex 8:20 Confront him on the bank of the Nile,S Ge 41:1 and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake.¹⁶ Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worshipS Ex 3:18 me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.S ver 4¹⁷ This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord:S Ex 6:2; 14:25 With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.ver 19-21; Ex 4:9; Rev 11:6; 16:4¹⁸ The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;Isa 19:6 the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’”ver 21, 24; Ps 78:44

¹⁹ The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staffS Ex 4:2 and stretch out your handEx 14:21; 2Ki 5:11 over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vesselsOr even on their idols of wood and stone.”

²⁰ Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded.S ver 6 He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,Ex 17:5 and all the water was changed into blood.Ps 78:44; 105:29; 114:3; Hab 3:8²¹ The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

²² But the Egyptian magiciansS Ge 41:8 did the same things by their secret arts,S ver 11; S Mt 24:24 and Pharaoh’s heartver 13,S 14; Ex 8:19; Ps 105:28 became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.²³ Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart.²⁴ And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking waterS ver 18, because they could not drink the water of the river.

The Plague of Frogs

²⁵ Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.

²² Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me?²³ Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!”

Promises of Deliverance

6 Then the Lord told Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. When he feels the force of my strong hand, he will let the people go. In fact, he will force them to leave his land!”

² And God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh—‘the Lord.’Yahweh is a transliteration of the proper name YHWH that is sometimes rendered “Jehovah”; in this translation it is usually rendered “the Lord” (note the use of small capitals).³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty’El-Shaddai, which means “God Almighty,” is the name for God used in Gen 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3.—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them.⁴ And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners.⁵ You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them.

⁶ “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment.⁷ I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt.⁸ I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’”

⁹ So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.

¹⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses,¹¹ “Go back to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and tell him to let the people of Israel leave his country.”

¹² “But Lord!” Moses objected. “My own people won’t listen to me anymore. How can I expect Pharaoh to listen? I’m such a clumsy speaker!Hebrew I have uncircumcised lips; also in 6:30.”

¹³ But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them orders for the Israelites and for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt.

The Ancestors of Moses and Aaron

¹⁴ These are the ancestors of some of the clans of Israel:

The sons of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. Their descendants became the clans of Reuben.

¹⁵ The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul. (Shaul’s mother was a Canaanite woman.) Their descendants became the clans of Simeon.

¹⁶ These are the descendants of Levi, as listed in their family records: The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (Levi lived to be 137 years old.)

These are the clans of the Levites, as listed in their family records.

²⁰ Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she gave birth to his sons, Aaron and Moses. (Amram lived to be 137 years old.)

²¹ The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zicri.

²² The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

²³ Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she gave birth to his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

²⁴ The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. Their descendants became the clans of Korah.

²⁵ Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she gave birth to his son, Phinehas.

These are the ancestors of the Levite families, listed according to their clans.

²⁶ The Aaron and Moses named in this list are the same ones to whom the Lord said, “Lead the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt like an army.”²⁷ It was Moses and Aaron who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, about leading the people of Israel out of Egypt.

²⁸ When the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,²⁹ he said to him, “I am the Lord! Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, everything I am telling you.”³⁰ But Moses argued with the Lord, saying, “I can’t do it! I’m such a clumsy speaker! Why should Pharaoh listen to me?”

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Serpent

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet.² Tell Aaron everything I command you, and Aaron must command Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country.³ But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.⁴ Even then Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will bring down my fist on Egypt. Then I will rescue my forces—my people, the Israelites—from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment.⁵ When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”

⁶ So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them.⁷ Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three when they made their demands to Pharaoh.

⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,⁹ “Pharaoh will demand, ‘Show me a miracle.’ When he does this, say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, and it will become a serpent.Hebrew tannin, which elsewhere refers to a sea monster. Greek version translates it “dragon.”’”

¹⁰ So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what the Lord had commanded them. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent!¹¹ Then Pharaoh called in his own wise men and sorcerers, and these Egyptian magicians did the same thing with their magic.¹² They threw down their staffs, which also became serpents! But then Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.¹³ Pharaoh’s heart, however, remained hard. He still refused to listen, just as the Lord had predicted.

A Plague of Blood

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn,Hebrew heavy. and he still refuses to let the people go.¹⁵ So go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes down to the river. Stand on the bank of the Nile and meet him there. Be sure to take along the staff that turned into a snake.¹⁶ Then announce to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you, “Let my people go, so they can worship me in the wilderness.” Until now, you have refused to listen to him.¹⁷ So this is what the Lord says: “I will show you that I am the Lord.” Look! I will strike the water of the Nile with this staff in my hand, and the river will turn to blood.¹⁸ The fish in it will die, and the river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink any water from the Nile.’”

¹⁹ Then the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and raise your hand over the waters of Egypt—all its rivers, canals, ponds, and all the reservoirs. Turn all the water to blood. Everywhere in Egypt the water will turn to blood, even the water stored in wooden bowls and stone pots.’”

²⁰ So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. As Pharaoh and all of his officials watched, Aaron raised his staff and struck the water of the Nile. Suddenly, the whole river turned to blood!²¹ The fish in the river died, and the water became so foul that the Egyptians couldn’t drink it. There was blood everywhere throughout the land of Egypt.²² But again the magicians of Egypt used their magic, and they, too, turned water into blood. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted.²³ Pharaoh returned to his palace and put the whole thing out of his mind.²⁴ Then all the Egyptians dug along the riverbank to find drinking water, for they couldn’t drink the water from the Nile.

²⁵ Seven days passed from the time the Lord struck the Nile.

²² And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?

²³ For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

6 Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.

² And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord:

³ And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.

⁴ And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

⁵ And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.

⁶ Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

⁷ And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

⁸ And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.

⁹ And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

¹⁰ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

¹¹ Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

¹² And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?

¹³ And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁴ These be the heads of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.

¹⁵ And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon.

¹⁶ And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.

¹⁷ The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.

¹⁸ And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.

¹⁹ And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.

²⁰ And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

²¹ And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.

²² And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.

²³ And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

²⁴ And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites.

²⁵ And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.

²⁶ These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.

²⁷ These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron.

²⁸ And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt,

²⁹ That the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I am the Lord: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.

³⁰ And Moses said before the Lord, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?

7 And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

² Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

³ And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

⁴ But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

⁵ And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

⁶ And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, so did they.

⁷ And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

⁸ And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

⁹ When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

¹¹ Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

¹² For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

¹³ And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

¹⁴ And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.

¹⁵ Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.

¹⁶ And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.

¹⁷ Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

¹⁸ And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.

¹⁹ And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.

²⁰ And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

²¹ And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

²² And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the Lord had said.

²³ And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.

²⁴ And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.

²⁵ And seven days were fulfilled, after that the Lord had smitten the river.

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?S Mt 6:14 Up to seven times?”Lk 17:4

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.Or seventy times sevenGe 4:24

²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is likeS Mt 13:24 a king who wanted to settle accountsMt 25:19 with his servants.²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of goldGreek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wages. was brought to him.²⁵ Since he was not able to pay,Lk 7:42 the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be soldLev 25:39; 2Ki 4:1; Ne 5:5, 8 to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him.S Mt 8:2 ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.Greek a hundred denarii; a denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see 20:2). He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”S Mt 6:14; S Jas 2:13

Divorce19:1-9pp — Mk 10:1-12

19 When Jesus had finished saying these things,S Mt 7:28 he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan.² Large crowds followed him, and he healed themS Mt 4:23 there.

³ Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wifeMt 5:31 for any and every reason?”

⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’Gen. 1:27Ge 1:27; 5:2⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’Gen. 2:24?Ge 2:24; 1Co 6:16; Eph 5:31⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

⁷ “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”Dt 24:1-4; Mt 5:31

⁸ Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.⁹ I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”S Lk 16:18

¹⁰ The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

¹¹ Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.S Mt 13:11; 1Co 7:7-9, 17¹² For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor

²¹ Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someoneGreek my brother. who sins against me? Seven times?”

²² “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!Or seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him.²⁴ In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.Greek 10,000 talents [375 tons or 340 metric tons of silver].²⁵ He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.

²⁶ “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’²⁷ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

²⁸ “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars.Greek 100 denarii. A denarius was equivalent to a laborer’s full day’s wage. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded.³⁰ But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

³¹ “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened.³² Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.³³ Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’³⁴ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

³⁵ “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sistersGreek your brother. from your heart.”

Discussion about Divorce and Marriage

19 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went down to the region of Judea east of the Jordan River.² Large crowds followed him there, and he healed their sick.

³ Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

⁴ “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’Gen 1:27; 5:2.”⁵ And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’Gen 2:24.⁶ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

⁷ “Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?”See Deut 24:1. they asked.

⁸ Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.⁹ And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.Some manuscripts add And anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Compare Matt 5:32.”

¹⁰ Jesus’ disciples then said to him, “If this is the case, it is better not to marry!”

¹¹ “Not everyone can accept this statement,” Jesus said. “Only those whom God helps.¹² Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marryGreek and some make themselves eunuchs. for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”

²¹ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

²² Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

²³ Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

²⁴ And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

²⁵ But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

²⁶ The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

²⁷ Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸ But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

²⁹ And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

³⁰ And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

³¹ So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

³² Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

³³ Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

³⁴ And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

³⁵ So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

19 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;

² And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.

³ The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

⁴ And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

⁵ And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

⁶ Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

⁷ They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

⁸ He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

⁹ And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

¹⁰ His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.

¹¹ But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.

¹² For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

²² His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

²³ He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.