The Daily Audio Bible
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Cloud by Day and Fire by Night
17 When Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even when that was nearer. For God said, “The people may change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people through the desert to get to the Red Sea. The people of Israel went out of the land of Egypt ready for war. 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the people of Israel promise. He had said, “For sure God will keep you and you will carry my bones with you from here.” 20 Then they left Succoth and set up their tents at Etham, beside the desert. 21 The Lord went before them, in a pillar of cloud during the day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire during the night to give them light. So they could travel day and night. 22 The pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire during the night did not leave the people.
Crossing the Red Sea
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to turn around and set up their tents in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. Set up your tents in front of Baal-zephon, beside the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They have lost their way. The desert has shut them in.’ 4 I will make Pharaoh’s heart hard. And he will try to catch them. So I will be honored through Pharaoh and his whole army. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had left, Pharaoh and his servants changed their minds about the people. They said, “What is this we have done? We have let Israel go from working for us.” 6 So he made his war-wagon ready and took his people with him. 7 He took 600 of the best war-wagons, and all the other war-wagons of Egypt in the care of leaders. 8 The Lord made the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt hard. And Pharaoh went to catch the people of Israel, who were leaving without fear. 9 The Egyptians followed them with all the horses and war-wagons of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army. And they came to them at their tents by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
10 When Pharaoh came near, the people of Israel looked and saw the Egyptians coming after them. And they were filled with fear and cried out to the Lord. 11 Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the desert? What have you done to us, in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Did we not tell you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die here.”
13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid! Be strong, and see how the Lord will save you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you. All you have to do is keep still.”
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to keep going. 16 Lift up your special stick and put out your hand over the sea, and divide it. Then the people of Israel will go through the sea on dry land. 17 I will make the Egyptians’ hearts hard, so they will go after them. And I will be honored through Pharaoh and his whole army, his war-wagons and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I am honored through Pharaoh, his war-wagons and his horsemen.” 19 Then the Angel of God, who had been going in front of the army of Israel, moved and went behind them. The cloud moved from the front of them and stood behind them. 20 It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. There was the cloud and the darkness, yet it gave light at night. And the one army did not come near the other all night. 21 Then Moses put out his hand over the sea. And the Lord moved the sea all night by a strong east wind. So the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went through the sea on dry land. The waters were like a wall to them on their right and on their left. 23 Then the Egyptians followed them. All Pharaoh’s horses and war-wagons and horsemen went in the sea after them. 24 In the morning hours, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army through the fire and cloud. And He made the Egyptian army afraid. 25 He made the wheels of their war-wagons come off, so it was hard for the wagons to be moved. So the Egyptians said, “Let us run away from Israel. For the Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand over the sea. And the waters will flow over the Egyptians, and over their war-wagons and their horsemen.” 27 And when the morning came, the Egyptians ran into the wall of water as the sea returned to the way it was before. The Lord destroyed the Egyptians in the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the war-wagons and the horsemen and Pharaoh’s whole army that had gone in the sea after them. Not even one of them was left. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry land through the sea. The waters were like a wall to them on their right and on their left.
30 So the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians. And Israel saw the Egyptians dead beside the sea. 31 Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians. And the people had fear of the Lord. They believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses.
15 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for He is praised for His greatness. He has thrown the horse and horseman into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and song. He is the One Who saves me. He is my God and I will praise Him. He is my father’s God and I will honor Him. 3 The Lord is a fighter. The Lord is His name. 4 He has thrown Pharaoh’s war-wagons and army into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s leaders are under the Red Sea. 5 The water covers them. They went down in the deep water like a stone. 6 O Lord, Your right hand is great in power. O Lord, Your right hand destroys those who hate You. 7 In the greatness of Your power You destroy those who fight against You. You send Your burning anger and it burns them like straw. 8 The waters were lifted up by Your breath. The flowing waters stood up like a wall. The water became hard in the middle of the sea. 9 Those who hated us said, ‘I will go after them. I will catch them. I will divide the riches taken from them. My soul will have its way against them. I will take out my sword and my hand will destroy them.’ 10 You, Lord, blew with Your wind and the sea covered them. They went down like iron in the powerful sea. 11 Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, great and holy, praised in fear, doing powerful works? 12 You put out Your right hand, and the earth swallowed them. 13 You have led with loving-kindness the people You have made free. You have led them in Your strength to Your holy place. 14 The nations have heard of it, and they shake in fear. Pain has come upon the people of Philistia. 15 Now the leaders of Edom are afraid. The leaders of Moab shake in fear. All the people of Canaan have become weak. 16 Much fear comes upon them. They see Your strength, O Lord. They are afraid and do not move until Your people have passed by, the people You have bought and made free. 17 You will bring them in and put them on Your own mountain. It is the place, O Lord, where You have made Your house, the holy place, which Your hands have built. 18 The Lord will rule forever and ever.”
They Ask Jesus Who Gave Him the Power to Do These Things (A)
23 Jesus came into the house of God. The religious leaders and the other leaders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching. They said, “By what right and power are You doing these things? Who gave You the right and the power to do them?” 24 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing also. If you tell Me, then I will tell you by what right and power I do these things. 25 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” They thought among themselves, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ then He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, because they all think John was one who spoke for God.” 27 They said to Jesus, “We do not know.” He said to them, “Then I will not tell you by what right and power I do these things.
The Picture-Story of the Two Sons
28 “What do you think about this? There was a man who had two sons. He came to the first son and said, ‘My son, go to my grape-field and work today.’ 29 He said, ‘I will go.’ But he did not go. 30 The father came to the second son and asked the same thing. The son said, ‘No, I will not go.’ Later he was sorry and went. 31 Which one of the two sons did what his father wanted?” They said to Jesus, “The second son.” Jesus said to them, “For sure, I tell you this: Tax-gatherers and women who sell the use of their bodies will get into the holy nation of heaven before you. 32 For John came to you preaching about being right with God. You did not believe him. But tax-gatherers and women who sell the use of their bodies did believe him. When you saw this, you were not sorry for your sins and did not turn from them and believe him.
The Picture-Story of the Grape-Field (B)
33 “Listen to another picture-story. A man who owned land planted grapes in a field and put a fence around it. He made a place for making wine. He built a tower to look over the grape-field. He let farmers rent it and then he went into another country. 34 The time came for gathering the grapes. He sent his servants to the farmers to get the grapes. 35 The farmers took his servants and hit one. They killed another and threw stones at another. 36 Again he sent other servants. He sent more than the first time. The farmers did the same to those servants. 37 After this he sent his son to them. He said to himself, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 When the farmers saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the one who will get everything when the owner dies. Let us kill him and we will get it all.’ 39 They took him and threw him out of the grape-field and killed him. 40 When the owner of the grape-field comes, what will he do to those farmers?” 41 They said to Him, “He will put those bad men to death. Then he will rent the grape-field to other farmers who will give him the grapes when they are ready.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you not read in the Holy Writings, ‘The Stone that was put aside by the workmen has become the most important Stone in the building? The Lord has done this. We think it is great!’ (C) 43 I say to you, because of this, the holy nation of God will be taken from you. It will be given to a nation that will give fruit. 44 Whoever falls on this Stone will be broken. And on the one it falls, it will make him like dust.”
45 When the religious leaders and the proud religious law-keepers heard this picture-story, they knew He spoke of them. 46 When they tried to put their hands on Him, they were afraid of the many people. The people thought He was One Who spoke for God.
Prayer of a Good Man
26 O Lord, stand by me for I have lived my life without blame. I have trusted in the Lord without changing. 2 Test me and try me, O Lord. Test my mind and my heart. 3 For Your loving-kindness is always in front of my eyes. And I have walked in Your truth. 4 I do not sit with men who lie about the truth. I would not be seen with those who pretend to be someone they are not. 5 I hate the meeting of sinners, and will not sit with the sinful. 6 I will wash my hands of any guilt. And I will go around Your altar, O Lord. 7 I will speak with the voice of thanks, and tell of all Your great works.
8 O Lord, I love the house where You live, the place where Your shining-greatness lives. 9 Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men who kill other people. 10 Sinful plans are in their hands. And their right hand is full of pay for hurting others. 11 But as for me, I will live a life without blame. Make me free, and show me loving-kindness. 12 My foot stands on a good place. I will give honor to the Lord, in the meeting of worship.
16 There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven that are hated by Him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that kill those who are without guilt, 18 a heart that makes sinful plans, feet that run fast to sin, 19 a person who tells lies about someone else, and one who starts fights among brothers.
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