1st February

¹ And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.² And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.³ And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.⁴ And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.⁵ And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.⁶ And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,⁷ Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.⁸ And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.⁹ Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.¹⁰ And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.¹¹ Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.¹² So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.¹³ And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.¹⁴ And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?¹⁵ Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?¹⁶ There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.¹⁷ But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.¹⁸ Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.¹⁹ And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.²⁰ And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:²¹ And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.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.

¹ 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?

¹ Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?² Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.³ The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.⁴ Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;⁵ Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.⁶ Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.⁷ Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.⁸ As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.⁹ Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.¹⁰ The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.¹¹ So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

¹ Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.² Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.³ For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.⁴ They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.⁵ Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.⁶ They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.⁷ Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?⁸ But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.⁹ Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.¹⁰ The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.¹¹ Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.¹² For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.¹³ Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.¹⁴ And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.¹⁵ Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.¹⁶ But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.¹⁷ Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

¹ Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.² For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.³ For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.⁵ For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.⁶ But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)⁷ Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)⁸ But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;⁹ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.¹¹ For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.¹² For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.¹³ For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.¹⁴ How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?¹⁵ And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?¹⁷ So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.¹⁸ But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.¹⁹ But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.²⁰ But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.²¹ But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

¹ I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.² God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,³ Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.⁴ But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.⁵ Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.⁶ And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.⁷ What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.⁸ (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.⁹ And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:¹⁰ Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.¹¹ I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.¹² Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?¹³ For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:¹⁴ If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.¹⁵ For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?¹⁶ For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.¹⁷ And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;¹⁸ Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.¹⁹ Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.²⁰ Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:²¹ For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.²² Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.²³ And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.²⁴ For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?²⁵ For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.²⁶ And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:²⁷ For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.²⁸ As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.²⁹ For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.³⁰ For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:³¹ Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.³² For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.³³ O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!³⁴ For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?³⁵ Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?³⁶ For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.