Day 31 of 365

Exod 9:1–35

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, that they may serve me.

2 For if you refuse to let them go, and hold them still,

3 behold, the hand of the Lord is on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks with a very grievous pestilence.

4 The Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt; and there shall nothing die of all that belongs to the children of Israel."'"

5 The Lord appointed a set time, saying, "Tomorrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land."

6 The Lord did that thing on the next day; and all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died.

7 Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the livestock of Israel dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he did not let the people go.

8 The Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, "Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh.

9 It shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with boils on man and on animal, throughout all the land of Egypt."

10 They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became a boil breaking forth with boils on man and on animal.

11 The magicians couldn't stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were on the magicians, and on all the Egyptians.

12 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

13 The Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, that they may serve me.

14 For this time I will send all my plagues against your heart, against your officials, and against your people; that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth.

15 For now I would have put forth my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth;

16 but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth;

17 as you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won't let them go.

18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.

19 Now therefore command that all of your livestock and all that you have in the field be brought into shelter. Every man and animal that is found in the field, and isn't brought home, the hail shall come down on them, and they shall die."'"

20 Those who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses.

21 Whoever did not regard the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field.

22 The Lord said to Moses, "Stretch forth your hand toward the sky, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man, and on animal, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt."

23 Moses stretched forth his rod toward the heavens, and the Lord sent thunder, hail, and lightning flashed down to the earth. The Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt.

24 So there was very severe hail, and lightning mixed with the hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

25 The hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and animal; and the hail struck every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field.

26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.

27 Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

28 Pray to the Lord; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer."

29 Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands to the Lord. The thunders shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that you may know that the earth is the Lord's.

30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God."

31 The flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bloom.

32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they had not grown up.

33 Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands to the Lord; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth.

34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

35 The heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

Matt 20:20–34

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.

21 He said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom."

22 But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able."

23 He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

24 When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.

25 But Jesus summoned them, and said, "You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

26 It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you must be your servant.

27 Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,

28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

29 As they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

30 Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, shouted, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!"

31 The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they shouted even more, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!"

32 Jesus stood still, and called them, and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"

33 They told him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."

34 Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received their sight, and they followed him.

Prov 8:1–9

1 Doesn't wisdom cry out? Doesn't understanding raise her voice?

2 On the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she stands.

3 Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entry doors, she cries aloud:

4 "To you men, I call! I send my voice to the sons of mankind.

5 You simple, understand prudence. You fools, be of an understanding heart.

6 Hear, for I will speak excellent things. The opening of my lips is for right things.

7 For my mouth speaks truth. Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.

9 They are all plain to him who understands, right to those who find knowledge.