One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible - Flipbook - Page 111
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could have lifted my hand and struck you and
your people with a plague to wipe you off the
face of the earth. 16 But I have spared you for
a purpose—to show you my power* and to
spread my fame throughout the earth. 17 But
you still lord it over my people and refuse to
let them go. 18 So tomorrow at this time I will
send a hailstorm more devastating than any
in all the history of Egypt. 19 Quick! Order your
livestock and servants to come in from the
fields to find shelter. Any person or animal left
outside will die when the hail falls.’”
20 Some of Pharaoh’s officials were afraid
because of what the Lord had said. They
quickly brought their servants and livestock
in from the fields. 21 But those who paid no attention to the word of the Lord left theirs out
in the open.
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your
hand toward the sky so hail may fall on
the people, the livestock, and all the plants
throughout the land of Egypt.”
23 So M
oses lifted his staff toward the sky,
and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed toward the earth. The Lord sent a
tremendous hailstorm against all the land of
Egypt. 24 Never in all the history of Egypt had
there been a storm like that, with such devastating hail and continuous lightning. 25 It left all
of Egypt in ruins. The hail struck down every
thing in the open f ield—people, animals, and
plants alike. Even the trees were destroyed.
26 The only place without hail was the region
of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived.
27 Then Pharaoh quickly summoned M
oses
and A
aron. “This time I have sinned,” he confessed. “The Lord is the righteous one, and my
people and I are wrong. 28 Please beg the Lord
to end this terrifying thunder and hail. We’ve
had enough. I will let you go; you d
on’t need to
stay any longer.”
29 “All right,”
Moses replied. “As soon as I
leave the city, I will lift my hands and pray to
the Lord. Then the thunder and hail will stop,
and you will know that the earth belongs to
the Lord. 30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God.”
31 (All the flax and barley were ruined by the
hail, because the barley had formed heads and
the flax was budding. 32 But the wheat and the
emmer wheat were spared, because they had
not yet sprouted from the ground.)
33 So Moses left Pharaoh’s court and went
out of the city. When he lifted his hands to the
Lord, the thunder and hail stopped, and the
downpour ceased. 34 But when Pharaoh saw
that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped,
he and his officials sinned again, and Pharaoh
January 29
again became stubborn.* 35 Because his heart
was hard, Pharaoh refused to let the people
leave, just as the Lord had predicted through
Moses.
8:1 Verses 8:1‑4 are numbered 7:26‑29 in Hebrew text. 8:5 Verses
8:5‑32 are numbered 8:1‑28 in Hebrew text. 8:15 Hebrew made
his heart heavy; also in 8:32. 8:23 As in Greek and Latin versions;
9:7 Hebrew heavy.
Hebrew reads I will set redemption between.
9:14 Hebrew on your heart.
9:16 Greek version reads to display
my power in you; compare Rom 9:17. 9:34 Hebrew made his
heart heavy.
MATTHEW 19:13‑30
One day some parents brought their children
to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and
pray for them. But the disciples scolded the
parents for bothering him.
14 But
Jesus said, “Let the children come
to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of
Heaven belongs to those who are like these
children.” 15 And he placed his hands on their
heads and blessed them before he left.
16 Someone came to J
esus with this question: “Teacher,* what good deed must I do to
have eternal life?”
17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus
replied. “There is only One who is good. But to
answer your question—if you want to receive
eternal life, keep* the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” the man asked.
And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder.
You must not commit adultery. You must not
steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor
your father and mother. Love your neighbor
as yourself.’*”
20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,”
the young man replied. “What else must I do?”
21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect,
go and sell all your possessions and give the
money to the poor, and you will have treasure
in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 But when the young man heard this, he
went away sad, for he had many possessions.
23 Then J
esus said to his disciples, “I tell you
the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to
enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I’ll say it
again—it is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle than for a rich person to
enter the Kingdom of God!”
25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who
in the world can be saved?” they asked.
26
Jesus looked at them intently and said,
“Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with
God everything is possible.”
27 Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up
everything to follow you. What will we get?”
28 Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the
world is made new* and the Son of Man* sits
upon his glorious throne, you who have been
my followers will also sit on twelve thrones,
