Daily Readings for February 10
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Exodus 19

 

1.In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2.When they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain. 3.Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him out of the mountain, saying, "This is what you shall tell the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4.'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to myself. 5.Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; 6.and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."

7.Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which Yahweh commanded him. 8.All the people answered together, and said, "All that Yahweh has spoken we will do."

Moses reported the words of the people to Yahweh. 9.Yahweh said to Moses, "Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever." Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh. 10.Yahweh said to Moses, "Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, 11.and be ready against the third day; for on the third day Yahweh will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai. 12.You shall set bounds to the people all around, saying, 'Be careful that you don't go up onto the mountain, or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain shall be surely put to death. 13.No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether it is animal or man, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mountain."

14.Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. 15.He said to the people, "Be ready by the third day. Don't have sexual relations with a woman."

16.It happened on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet; and all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17.Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lower part of the mountain. 18.Mount Sinai, all it, smoked, because Yahweh descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19.When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice. 20.Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

21.Yahweh said to Moses, "Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to gaze, and many of them perish. 22.Let the priests also, who come near to Yahweh, sanctify themselves, lest Yahweh break forth on them."

23.Moses said to Yahweh, "The people can't come up to Mount Sinai, for you warned us, saying, 'Set bounds around the mountain, and sanctify it.'"

24.Yahweh said to him, "Go down and you shall bring Aaron up with you, but don't let the priests and the people break through to come up to Yahweh, lest he break forth on them."

25.So Moses went down to the people, and told them.

 

Exodus 20

 

1.God¹⁹ spoke all these words, saying, 2."I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3."You shall have no other gods before me.

4."You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5.you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6.and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7."You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

8."Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9.You shall labor six days, and do all your work, 10.but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; 11.for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.

12."Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.

13."You shall not murder.

14."You shall not commit adultery.

15."You shall not steal.

16."You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

17."You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."

18.All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance. 19.They said to Moses, "Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don't let God speak with us, lest we die."

20.Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won't sin." 21.The people stayed at a distance, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

22.Yahweh said to Moses, "This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 23.You shall most certainly not make alongside of me gods of silver, or gods of gold for yourselves. 24.You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you. 25.If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it. 26.Neither shall you go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed to it.'

 

Psalm 73

 

1.Surely God²³ is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2.But as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had nearly slipped. 3.For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4.For there are no struggles in their death, but their strength is firm. 5.They are free from burdens of men, neither are they plagued like other men. 6.Therefore pride is like a chain around their neck. Violence covers them like a garment. 7.Their eyes bulge with fat. Their minds pass the limits of conceit. 8.They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression. 9.They have set their mouth in the heavens. Their tongue walks through the earth. 10.Therefore their people return to them, and they drink up waters of abundance. 11.They say, "How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?" 12.Behold, these are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase in riches. 13.Surely in vain I have cleansed my heart, and washed my hands in innocence, 14.For all day long have I been plagued, and punished every morning. 15.If I had said, "I will speak thus;" behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children. 16.When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me; 17.Until I entered God's sanctuary, and considered their latter end. 18.Surely you set them in slippery places. You throw them down to destruction. 19.How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors. 20.As a dream when one wakes up, so, Lord,²⁴ when you awake, you will despise their fantasies. 21.For my soul was grieved. I was embittered in my heart. 22.I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you. 23.Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand. 24.You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 25.Whom do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth whom I desire besides you. 26.My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27.For, behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you. 28.But it is good for me to come close to God. I have made the Lord Yahweh²⁵ my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

 

Mark 6

 

1.He went out from there. He came into his own country, and his disciples followed him. 2.When the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things?" and, "What is the wisdom that is given to this man, that such mighty works come about by his hands? 3.Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" They were offended at him.

4.Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house." 5.He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people, and healed them. 6.He marveled because of their unbelief.

He went around the villages teaching. 7.He called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8.He commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, 9.but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics. 10.He said to them, "Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11.Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"

12.They went out and preached that people should repent. 13.They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them. 14.King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, "John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him." 15.But others said, "He is Elijah." Others said, "He is a prophet, or like one of the prophets." 16.But Herod, when he heard this, said, "This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead." 17.For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her. 18.For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." 19.Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him, but she couldn't, 20.for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.

21.Then a convenient day came, that Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. 22.When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you." 23.He swore to her, "Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom."

24.She went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"

She said, "The head of John the Baptizer."

25.She came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter."

26.The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn't wish to refuse her. 27.Immediately the king sent out a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring John's head, and he went and beheaded him in the prison, 28.and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young lady; and the young lady gave it to her mother.

29.When his disciples heard this, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

30.The apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught. 31.He said to them, "You come apart into a deserted place, and rest awhile." For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 32.They went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33.They⁹ saw them going, and many recognized him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to him. 34.Jesus came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things. 35.When it was late in the day, his disciples came to him, and said, "This place is deserted, and it is late in the day. 36.Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages, and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat."

37.But he answered them, "You give them something to eat."

They asked him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii¹⁰ worth of bread, and give them something to eat?"

38.He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go see."

When they knew, they said, "Five, and two fish."

39.He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass. 40.They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties. 41.He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all. 42.They all ate, and were filled. 43.They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and also of the fish. 44.Those who ate the loaves were¹¹ five thousand men.

45.Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the multitude away. 46.After he had taken leave of them, he went up the mountain to pray.

47.When evening had come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48.Seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them, about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea,¹² and he would have passed by them, 49.but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50.for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he immediately spoke with them, and said to them, "Cheer up! It is I!¹³ Don't be afraid." 51.He got into the boat with them; and the wind ceased, and they were very amazed among themselves, and marveled; 52.for they hadn't understood about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

53.When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54.When they had come out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, 55.and ran around that whole region, and began to bring those who were sick, on their mats, to where they heard he was. 56.Wherever he entered, into villages, or into cities, or into the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch just the fringe¹⁴ of his garment; and as many as touched him were made well.

 

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