Exodus 17
Water from the Rock
1 Now all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the Wilderness of Sin, according to their encampments and by the word of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.
2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, saying, “Give us water, that we may drink.” Moses then said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?”
3 Thus the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why is it you brought us up out of Egypt to kill us, our children, and our cattle with thirst?”
4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go before this people and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand the rod with which you struck the river and go.
6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it so the people may drink.” So Moses did so before the children of Israel.†
7 Thus he called the name of that place Temptation and Abuse, because of the abusive language of the children of Israel and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Victory over Amalek
8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for yourself some mighty men and go out, and set the army in array against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”
10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him and set the army in array against Amalek. Then Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hands, that Israel prevailed; but when he let down his hands, Amalek prevailed.†
12 Now Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and one on the other; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.†
13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
15 Now Moses built an altar and called its name The-Lord-My-Refuge;
16 for with a secret hand the Lord wars with Amalek from generation to generation.
Psalms 58
1 For the End; corrupt not; by David; for a pillar inscription, when Saul sent and watched his house, that he might kill him. †
2 Rescue me from my enemies, O God, And redeem me from those who rise up against me.
3 Deliver me from the workers of lawlessness And save me from men of blood.
4 For behold, they hunt for my soul; Mighty men set upon me. Neither is it for my lawlessness, nor for my sin, O Lord;
5 I run without lawlessness, and keep a straight path; Rise up and meet me, and see.
6 And You, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, Give heed, and examine all the Gentiles; Do not be merciful to all who work lawlessness. (Pause)
7 They shall return at evening, And hunger like dogs; and they shall encircle the city.
8 Behold, they shall speak with their mouth, And a sword is in their lips; for they say, “Who hears?”
9 But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them; You shall hold all the nations in contempt.
10 O my strength, I shall keep watch with You, For You are my protector, O God.
11 As for my God, His mercy shall go before me; God will show it to me among my enemies.
12 Do not kill them, lest they forget my people; Scatter them by Your power, And bring them down, O Lord my protector.
13 For the sin of their mouth, for the word of their lips, Let them also be taken in their arrogance; And from their vow of evil and lie, their end will be proclaimed
14 In a wrath of destruction, and let them be no more; And they shall know God is Jacob’s Lord, And the Lord of the ends of the earth.
15 They shall return at evening, and hunger like dogs; And they shall encircle the city.
16 They shall be scattered to and fro so as to eat, But if they are not satisfied, they shall also grumble.
17 But I will sing of Your power, And greatly rejoice in Your mercy in the morning; For You are my protector, And my refuge in the day of my affliction.
18 You are my helper; I will sing to You; For You, O God, are my protector; You are my mercy, O my God.
Proverbs of Solomon 12
6 The words of the ungodly are deceitful, But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.
7 If he does not turn, an ungodly man is destroyed, But the houses of the righteous remain.
8 The mouth of a man of understanding is praised by a man, But the slothful of heart are treated with contempt.†
9 It is better for a man in dishonor to serve himself Than for him to surround himself with honor while in need of bread.
10 A righteous man has compassion on the lives of his cattle, But the affections of the ungodly are without mercy.†
Mark 10
What Is Marriage?
1 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.
2 The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.†
3 And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”
4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her. ”
5 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6 But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’
7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
8 and the two shall become one flesh’ ; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.
9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
10 In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.
11 So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.
12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Children Receive the Kingdom
13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. †
14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”
16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.
The Danger of Riches
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”†
18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”
21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”
27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”
28 Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”†
29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s,
30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.
31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”