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Exodus 7

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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.â€

^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.’â€

^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 theLord had predicted.

A Plague of Blood

^14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn, 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 theLord 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.’â€

^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.’â€

^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.

Exodus 8

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A Plague of Frogs

8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go back to Pharaoh and announce to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. ^2 If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs across your entire land. ^3 The Nile River will swarm with frogs. They will come up out of the river and into your palace, even into your bedroom and onto your bed! They will enter the houses of your officials and your people. They will even jump into your ovens and your kneading bowls. ^4 Frogs will jump on you, your people, and all your officials.’â€

^5 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Raise the staff in your hand over all the rivers, canals, and ponds of Egypt, and bring up frogs over all the land.’â€Â ^6 So Aaron raised his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the whole land! ^7 But the magicians were able to do the same thing with their magic. They, too, caused frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.

^8 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, “Plead with the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your people go, so they can offer sacrifices to the Lord.â€

^9 “You set the time!†Moses replied. “Tell me when you want me to pray for you, your officials, and your people. Then you and your houses will be rid of the frogs. They will remain only in the Nile River.â€

^10 “Do it tomorrow,†Pharaoh said.

“All right,†Moses replied, “it will be as you have said. Then you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God. ^11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials, and your people. They will remain only in the Nile River.â€

^12 So Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh’s palace, and Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had inflicted on Pharaoh.^13 And the Lord did just what Moses had predicted. The frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields all died. ^14 The Egyptians piled them into great heaps, and a terrible stench filled the land. ^15 But when Pharaoh saw that relief had come, he became stubborn. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted.

A Plague of Gnats

^16 So the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Raise your staff and strike the ground. The dust will turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’â€Â ^17 So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them. When Aaron raised his hand and struck the ground with his staff, gnats infested the entire land, covering the Egyptians and their animals. All the dust in the land of Egypt turned into gnats. ^18 Pharaoh’s magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but this time they failed. And the gnats covered everyone, people and animals alike.

^19 “This is the finger of God!†the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

A Plague of Flies

^20 Then the Lord told Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand in Pharaoh’s way as he goes down to the river. Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. ^21 If you refuse, then I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and all the houses. The Egyptian homes will be filled with flies, and the ground will be covered with them. ^22 But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the Lord and that I am present even in the heart of your land. ^23 I will make a clear distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow.’â€

^24 And the Lord did just as he had said. A thick swarm of flies filled Pharaoh’s palace and the houses of his officials. The whole land of Egypt was thrown into chaos by the flies.

^25 Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron. “All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God,†he said. “But do it here in this land.â€

^26 But Moses replied, “That wouldn’t be right. The Egyptians detest the sacrifices that we offer to the Lord our God. Look, if we offer our sacrifices here where the Egyptians can see us, they will stone us. ^27 We must take a three-day trip into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, just as he has commanded us.â€

^28 “All right, go ahead,†Pharaoh replied. “I will let you go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God. But don’t go too far away. Now hurry and pray for me.â€

^29 Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will disappear from you and your officials and all your people. But I am warning you, Pharaoh, don’t lie to us again and refuse to let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.â€

^30 So Moses left Pharaoh’s palace and pleaded with the Lord to remove all the flies. ^31 And the Lord did as Moses asked and caused the swarms of flies to disappear from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. Not a single fly remained. ^32 But Pharaoh again became stubborn and refused to let the people go.

Exodus 9

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A Plague against Livestock

9 “Go back to Pharaoh,†the Lord commanded Moses. “Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. ^2 If you continue to hold them and refuse to let them go, ^3 the hand of the Lord will strike all your livestock—your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats—with a deadly plague. ^4 But the Lord will again make a distinction between the livestock of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. Not a single one of Israel’s animals will die! ^5 The Lord has already set the time for the plague to begin. He has declared that he will strike the land tomorrow.’â€

^6 And the Lord did just as he had said. The next morning all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but the Israelites didn’t lose a single animal. ^7 Pharaoh sent his officials to investigate, and they discovered that the Israelites had not lost a single animal! But even so, Pharaoh’s heart remained stubborn, and he still refused to let the people go.

A Plague of Festering Boils

^8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a brick kiln, and have Moses toss it into the air while Pharaoh watches. ^9 The ashes will spread like fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing festering boils to break out on people and animals throughout the land.â€

^10 So they took soot from a brick kiln and went and stood before Pharaoh. As Pharaoh watched, Moses threw the soot into the air, and boils broke out on people and animals alike. ^11 Even the magicians were unable to stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and all the Egyptians. ^12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and just as the Lord had predicted to Moses, Pharaoh refused to listen.

A Plague of Hail

^13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. ^14 If you don’t, I will send more plagues on you and your officials and your people. Then you will know that there is no one like me in all the earth. ^15 By now I could have lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth. ^16 But I have spared you for a purpose—to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth. ^17 But you still lord it over my people and refuse to let them go. ^18 So tomorrow at this time I will send a hailstorm more devastating than any in all the history of Egypt. ^19 Quick! Order your livestock and servants to come in from the fields to find shelter. Any person or animal left outside will die when the hail falls.’â€

^20 Some of Pharaoh’s officials were afraid because of what the Lord had said. They quickly brought their servants and livestock in from the fields. ^21 But those who paid no attention to the word of the Lord left theirs out in the open.

^22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky so hail may fall on the people, the livestock, and all the plants throughout the land of Egypt.â€

^23 So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed toward the earth. TheLord sent a tremendous hailstorm against all the land of Egypt. ^24 Never in all the history of Egypt had there been a storm like that, with such devastating hail and continuous lightning. ^25 It left all of Egypt in ruins. The hail struck down everything in the open field—people, animals, and plants alike. Even the trees were destroyed. ^26 The only place without hail was the region of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived.

^27 Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,†he confessed. “The Lord is the righteous one, and my people and I are wrong. ^28 Please beg the Lord to end this terrifying thunder and hail. We’ve had enough. I will let you go; you don’t need to stay any longer.â€

^29 “All right,†Moses replied. “As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my hands and pray to the Lord. Then the thunder and hail will stop, and you will know that the earth belongs to the Lord. ^30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear theLord God.â€

^31 (All the flax and barley were ruined by the hail, because the barley had formed heads and the flax was budding. ^32 But the wheat and the emmer wheat were spared, because they had not yet sprouted from the ground.)

^33 So Moses left Pharaoh’s court and went out of the city. When he lifted his hands to the Lord, the thunder and hail stopped, and the downpour ceased. ^34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he and his officials sinned again, and Pharaoh again became stubborn. ^35 Because his heart was hard, Pharaoh refused to let the people leave, just as the Lord had predicted through Moses.

Matthew 15

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Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity

15 Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, ^2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.â€

^3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? ^4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ ^5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ ^6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. ^7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

^8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

^9 Their worship is a farce,

for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’â€

^10 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,â€Â he said, “and try to understand. ^11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.â€

^12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?â€

^13 Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, ^14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.â€

^15 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.â€

^16 “Don’t you understand yet?â€Â Jesus asked. ^17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. ^18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. ^19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. ^20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.â€

The Faith of a Gentile Woman

^21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ^22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.â€

^23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,†they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.â€

^24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.â€

^25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!â€

^26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.â€

^27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.â€

^28 “Dear woman,â€Â Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.â€Â And her daughter was instantly healed.

Jesus Heals Many People

^29 Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. ^30 A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. ^31 The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

^32 Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.â€

^33 The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?â€

^34 Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?â€

They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.â€

^35 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. ^36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.

^37 They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. ^38 There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children. ^39 Then Jesus sent the people home, and he got into a boat and crossed over to the region of Magadan.