The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday January 27, 2023 (NIV)

Exodus 4:1-5:21

Moses Given Powerful Signs

Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, (A)“A staff.” And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— “that they may (B)believe that the Lord, (C)the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.”[a] And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was (D)leprous[b] like snow. Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, (E)it was restored like the rest of his flesh. “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile (F)will become blood on the dry ground.”

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but (G)I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and (H)I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, (I)he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 (J)You shall speak to him and (K)put the words in his mouth, and (L)I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 (M)He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and (N)you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand (O)this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

Moses Returns to Egypt

18 Moses went back to (P)Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for (Q)all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took (R)his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took (S)the staff of God in his hand.

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the (T)miracles that I have put in your power. But (U)I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, (V)Israel is my (W)firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I (X)will kill your firstborn son.’”

24 At a lodging place on the way (Y)the Lord met him and (Z)sought to put him to death. 25 Then (AA)Zipporah took a (AB)flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses'[c] feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness (AC)to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the (AD)mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses (AE)told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all (AF)the signs that he had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron (AG)went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 (AH)Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people (AI)believed; and when they heard that the Lord had (AJ)visited the people of Israel and that he had (AK)seen their affliction, (AL)they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Making Bricks Without Straw

Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold (AM)a feast to me in the wilderness.’” But Pharaoh said, (AN)“Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, (AO)I will not let Israel go.” Then they said, “The (AP)God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your (AQ)burdens.” And Pharaoh said, “Behold, (AR)the people of the land are now many,[d] and you make them rest from their burdens!” The same day Pharaoh commanded the (AS)taskmasters of the people and their (AT)foremen, “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”

10 So the (AU)taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’” 12 So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The (AV)taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.” 14 And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh's (AW)taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?”

15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? 16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.” 19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” 20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and (AX)they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

Footnotes:

  1. Exodus 4:6 Hebrew into your bosom; also verse 7
  2. Exodus 4:6 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
  3. Exodus 4:25 Hebrew his
  4. Exodus 5:5 Samaritan they are now more numerous than the people of the land

Cross references:

  1. Exodus 4:2 : ver. 17, 20
  2. Exodus 4:5 : ch. 19:9
  3. Exodus 4:5 : See ch. 3:6
  4. Exodus 4:6 : Num. 12:10; 2 Kgs. 5:27
  5. Exodus 4:7 : [2 Kgs. 5:14]
  6. Exodus 4:9 : ch. 7:19
  7. Exodus 4:10 : [ch. 6:12; Jer. 1:6]
  8. Exodus 4:12 : [ch. 3:12; Isa. 50:4; Jer. 1:9; Ezek. 33:22; Matt. 10:19, 20; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11, 12; 21:15]
  9. Exodus 4:14 : ver. 27
  10. Exodus 4:15 : ch. 7:1, 2
  11. Exodus 4:15 : Num. 22:38; 23:5, 12, 16; Deut. 18:18; 2 Sam. 14:3, 19; Isa. 51:16
  12. Exodus 4:15 : [See ver. 12 above]; [ch. 3:12; Isa. 50:4; Jer. 1:9; Ezek. 33:22; Matt. 10:19, 20; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11, 12; 21:15]
  13. Exodus 4:16 : ver. 30
  14. Exodus 4:16 : [ch. 7:1; 18:19]
  15. Exodus 4:17 : ver. 2; ch. 7:15
  16. Exodus 4:18 : [ch. 2:18]
  17. Exodus 4:19 : ch. 2:15, 23; [Matt. 2:20]
  18. Exodus 4:20 : ch. 18:2-4
  19. Exodus 4:20 : ch. 17:9; Num. 20:8, 9
  20. Exodus 4:21 : ch. 3:20
  21. Exodus 4:21 : ch. 7:13, 22; 8:15, 32; 9:12, 35; 10:1; 14:8; Rom. 9:17, 18; [Deut. 2:30; Josh. 11:20; Isa. 63:17]
  22. Exodus 4:22 : Hos. 11:1
  23. Exodus 4:22 : Jer. 31:9
  24. Exodus 4:23 : ch. 11:5; 12:29
  25. Exodus 4:24 : [Num. 22:22; 1 Chr. 21:16]
  26. Exodus 4:24 : [Gen. 17:14]
  27. Exodus 4:25 : ch. 2:21
  28. Exodus 4:25 : Josh. 5:2, 3
  29. Exodus 4:27 : ver. 14
  30. Exodus 4:27 : See ch. 3:1
  31. Exodus 4:28 : ver. 15, 16
  32. Exodus 4:28 : See ver. 3-9
  33. Exodus 4:29 : ch. 3:16
  34. Exodus 4:30 : ver. 16
  35. Exodus 4:31 : ver. 8, 9; ch. 3:18
  36. Exodus 4:31 : See ch. 3:16
  37. Exodus 4:31 : ch. 2:25; 3:7
  38. Exodus 4:31 : ch. 12:27; Gen. 24:26; 1 Chr. 29:20
  39. Exodus 5:1 : ch. 10:9
  40. Exodus 5:2 : [2 Kgs. 18:35; Job 21:15]
  41. Exodus 5:2 : ch. 3:19
  42. Exodus 5:3 : ch. 3:18; 7:16; 9:1, 13
  43. Exodus 5:4 : ch. 1:11
  44. Exodus 5:5 : ch. 1:7, 9
  45. Exodus 5:6 : ch. 3:7
  46. Exodus 5:6 : ver. 14, 15, 19
  47. Exodus 5:10 : ch. 3:7
  48. Exodus 5:13 : ch. 3:7
  49. Exodus 5:14 : [See ver. 13 above]; ch. 3:7
  50. Exodus 5:21 : ch. 6:9
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Matthew 18:1-20

Who Is the Greatest?

18 (A)At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you (B)turn and (C)become like children, you (D)will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (E)Whoever humbles himself like this child is the (F)greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

(G)“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but (H)whoever causes one of these (I)little ones who believe in me to sin,[a] it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Temptations to Sin

“Woe to the world for (J)temptations to sin![b] (K)For it is necessary that temptations come, (L)but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! (M)And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into (N)the eternal fire. (O)And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the (P)hell[c] of fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

10 “See that you do not despise (Q)one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven (R)their angels always (S)see the face of my Father who is in heaven.[d] 12 (T)What do you think? (U)If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So (V)it is not the will of my[e] Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

If Your Brother Sins Against You

15 (W)“If your brother sins against you, (X)go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have (Y)gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established (Z)by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, (AA)tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, (AB)let him be to you as (AC)a Gentile and (AD)a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, (AE)whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[f] in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you (AF)agree on earth about anything they ask, (AG)it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are (AH)gathered in my name, (AI)there am I among them.”

Footnotes:

  1. Matthew 18:6 Greek causes… to stumble; also verses 8, 9
  2. Matthew 18:7 Greek stumbling blocks
  3. Matthew 18:9 Greek Gehenna
  4. Matthew 18:10 Some manuscripts add verse 11: For the Son of Man came to save the lost
  5. Matthew 18:14 Some manuscripts your
  6. Matthew 18:18 Or shall have been bound… shall have been loosed

Cross references:

  1. Matthew 18:1 : ch. 17:24; For ver. 1-5, see Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-48; [ch. 20:20-28]
  2. Matthew 18:3 : See Luke 22:32
  3. Matthew 18:3 : ch. 19:14; Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17; [Ps. 131:2; 1 Cor. 14:20; 1 Pet. 2:2]
  4. Matthew 18:3 : [ch. 5:19, 20]
  5. Matthew 18:4 : ch. 20:27; 23:11, 12
  6. Matthew 18:4 : [See ver. 3 above]; [ch. 5:19, 20]
  7. Matthew 18:5 : [ch. 10:40, 42]
  8. Matthew 18:6 : Mark 9:42
  9. Matthew 18:6 : Luke 17:2; [1 Cor. 8:12]
  10. Matthew 18:7 : See ch. 13:41
  11. Matthew 18:7 : Luke 17:1; See 1 Cor. 11:19
  12. Matthew 18:7 : ch. 26:24
  13. Matthew 18:8 : ch. 5:29, 30; Mark 9:43-48
  14. Matthew 18:8 : See ch. 25:41
  15. Matthew 18:9 : [See ver. 8 above]; ch. 5:29, 30; Mark 9:43-48
  16. Matthew 18:9 : [See ver. 8 above]; See ch. 25:41
  17. Matthew 18:10 : [ch. 6:29; 25:40, 45; Luke 15:7, 10]
  18. Matthew 18:10 : Acts 12:15; [Ps. 34:7; 91:11; Heb. 1:14]
  19. Matthew 18:10 : Luke 1:19; Rev. 8:2; [Esth. 1:14]
  20. Matthew 18:12 : ch. 17:25; 21:28
  21. Matthew 18:12 : For ver. 12-14, [Luke 15:4-7]
  22. Matthew 18:14 : John 6:39; 10:28; [John 17:12]
  23. Matthew 18:15 : Luke 17:3
  24. Matthew 18:15 : 2 Thess. 3:15; [Titus 3:10; James 5:19]; See Lev. 19:17
  25. Matthew 18:15 : 1 Cor. 9:19-22; 1 Pet. 3:1
  26. Matthew 18:16 : Deut. 19:15; 2 Cor. 13:1; [Num. 35:30; John 8:17; 1 Tim. 5:19; Heb. 10:28]
  27. Matthew 18:17 : [1 Cor. 5:4, 5; 6:1-6]
  28. Matthew 18:17 : [Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor. 5:9-13; 2 Thess. 3:6, 14; 2 John 10]
  29. Matthew 18:17 : ch. 5:46, 47
  30. Matthew 18:17 : ch. 5:46, 47
  31. Matthew 18:18 : [ch. 16:19; John 20:23]
  32. Matthew 18:19 : [Acts 12:5, 12; Philem. 22]
  33. Matthew 18:19 : See ch. 7:7
  34. Matthew 18:20 : [Acts 4:30, 31; 1 Cor. 5:4]
  35. Matthew 18:20 : [ch. 28:20; John 12:26; 20:20, 26]
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Psalm 22:19-31

19 But you, O Lord, (A)do not be far off!
O you my help, (B)come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of (C)the dog!
21 Save me from (D)the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued[a] me from the horns of (E)the wild oxen!

22 (F)I will tell of your name to my (G)brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who (H)fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, (I)glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of (J)the afflicted,
and he has not (K)hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he (L)cried to him.

25 From you comes my praise in the great (M)congregation;
my (N)vows I will (O)perform before those who fear him.
26 (P)The afflicted[b] shall (Q)eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts (R)live forever!

27 All (S)the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all (T)the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28 For (U)kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.

29 All (V)the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall (W)bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not (X)keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming (Y)generation;
31 they shall (Z)come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet (AA)unborn,
that he has done it.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 22:21 Hebrew answered
  2. Psalm 22:26 Or The meek
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Proverbs 5:15-21

15 Drink (A)water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.
16 Should your (B)springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water (C)in the streets?
17 (D)Let them be for yourself alone,
and not for strangers with you.
18 Let your (E)fountain be blessed,
and (F)rejoice in (G)the wife of your youth,
19 a lovely (H)deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts (I)fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicated[a] always in her love.
20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with (J)a forbidden woman
and embrace the bosom of (K)an adulteress?[b]
21 For (L)a man's ways are (M)before the eyes of the Lord,
and he (N)ponders[c] all his paths.

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 5:19 Hebrew be led astray; also verse 20
  2. Proverbs 5:20 Hebrew a foreign woman
  3. Proverbs 5:21 Or makes level
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.