Exodus 10
The Plague of Locusts
1 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that these signs may come upon them;†
2 and that you may tell in the hearing of your children and your children’s children, in how many things I mocked the Egyptians, and My wonders I wrought among them; and you shall know I am the Lord.”†
3 So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go so they may serve Me.†
4 Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring an abundance of locusts into your territory.
5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, so no one will be able to see the earth; and they shall eat the residue of what is left of the land’s abundance which remains to you from the hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you out of the field.
6 They shall fill your houses, the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians—which neither your fathers nor their forefathers saw, since the day they were on the earth to this day.’ ” So Moses turned and went out from Pharaoh.
7 Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go so they may serve their God. Do you not yet know Egypt is destroyed?”
8 So Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God, but who are the ones going?”
9 Moses replied, “We will go with our young and old; with our sons and daughters, with our sheep and oxen, for we must hold a feast to the Lord.”
10 Then he said to them, “Let the Lord be with you when I let you and your little ones go, but not your belongings, for evil lies before you.
11 Not so, but let the men go and serve God, for that is what you desired.” Then they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, and let the locusts come upon the land of Egypt and eat every herb of the land—everything the hail left.”
13 So Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven, and the Lord brought a south wind on the land all that day and night. When it was morning, the south wind brought the locusts;
14 and the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested in very great abundance on all the territory of Egypt. Previously there were no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them.
15 For they covered the face of the land, and the land was wasted. They ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees left by the hail. There remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt.
16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.†
17 Now therefore, pardon my sin yet this time, and pray to the Lord your God that He take away from me this death.”
18 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to God.
19 Then the Lord brought in from the opposite direction a strong wind from the sea, which took the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt.
20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
The Plague of Darkness
21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven and let there be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that may be felt.”†
22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.
23 No one saw his brother for three days; nor did anyone rise from his bed for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
24 Then Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord your God; only let your sheep and oxen be kept back. Let your belongings also go with you.”
25 But Moses said, “No, but you must give us whole burnt offerings and sacrifices that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.
26 Thus our cattle shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the Lord our God, and even we do not know in what manner we shall serve the Lord our God until we arrive there.”
27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.
28 Then Pharaoh said to him, “Depart from me. Take heed to yourself that you see my face no more. For in the day you see my face, you shall die.”
29 So Moses said, “You have spoken well. I will never see your face again.”
Exodus 11
Death of the Firstborn Announced
1 Now the Lord said to Moses, “I will bring yet one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward, he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here.
2 Speak now secretly in the hearing of the people, and let everyone ask from his neighbor articles of silver and gold and clothing.”
3 So the Lord gave the people grace in the sight of the Egyptians, and they lent to them. Moreover, the man Moses was very great before the Egyptians and before Pharaoh and all his servants.†
4 Then Moses said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt;
5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne even to the firstborn of the female servant behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle.
6 Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again.
7 But against not even one of the descendants of Israel, be it man or cattle, shall a dog snarl its tongue, that you may know the Lord shall make a wide distinction between the Egyptians and Israel.’
8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Go from here, and all the people who follow you.’ After that I will go out.” Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.
9 But the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not heed you, that I may multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.”
10 So Moses and Aaron did all these signs and wonders in the land of Egypt before Pharaoh; and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel depart from the land of Egypt.†
Psalms 52
1 For the End; for Mahaleth; concerning understanding; by David. †
2 The fool said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt and abominable in lawlessness; There is none who does good.
3 God looked from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there were any who understood or sought God.
4 All turned aside; they were all together rendered useless; There is none who does good, not even one.
5 Do all the workers of lawlessness not know? They eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God.
6 They were in great fear where no fear was, For God scattered the bones of men-pleasers; They were put to shame, because God scorned them.
7 Who will bring the salvation of Israel out of Zion? When God brings back the captivity of His people, Jacob will greatly rejoice, and Israel will be glad.
Psalms 53
1 For the End; in hymns; concerning understanding; by David; †
2 when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Is not David hiding with us?”
3 Save me, O God, in Your name, And judge me in Your power.
4 O God, hear my prayer; Give ear to the words of my mouth.
5 For strangers rise up against me, And the powerful seek after my soul; They have not set God before them. (Pause)
6 For behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the protector of my soul.
7 He will return evils to my enemies; Utterly destroy them in Your truth.
8 I will sacrifice to You voluntarily; I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good.
9 You delivered me from all my afflictions, And my eye looked upon my enemies.
Proverbs of Solomon 11
6 When a righteous man dies, his hope does not perish, But the boast of the ungodly perishes.†
7 A righteous man escapes from a snare, But the ungodly man is handed over in his place.
8 There is a snare for citizens in the mouth of the ungodly, But the perception of the righteous is prosperous.†
9 A city stays upright in the good things of the righteous, But it is razed to the ground by the mouths of the ungodly.
10 A man in need of discernment treats citizens with contempt, But a man of discernment keeps quiet.†
Mark 7
The Traditions of the Pharisees
1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.†
2 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.
3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.
4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”
6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men
9 He said to them, “ All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ ; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’
11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God ),
12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,
13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
14 When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand:
15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.†
16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
17 When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.
18 So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,
19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”
20 And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”