Bible Reading February 20 (World English Bible)
Exodus
1
Exo
1:1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into
Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):
Exo
1:2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
Exo
1:3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
Exo
1:4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
Exo
1:5 All the souls who came out of Jacob's body were seventy souls,
and Joseph was in Egypt already.
Exo
1:6 Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation.
Exo
1:7 The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly,
and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled
with them.
Exo
1:8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn't know Joseph.
Exo
1:9 He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the children
of Israel are more and mightier than we.
Exo
1:10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it
happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our
enemies, and fight against us, and escape out of the land."
Exo
1:11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with
their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and
Raamses.
Exo
1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and
the more they spread out. They were grieved because of the children
of Israel.
Exo
1:13 The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,
Exo
1:14 and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar
and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their
service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
Exo
1:15 The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the
name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,
Exo
1:16 and he said, "When you perform the duty of a midwife to
the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool; if it is a son,
then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall
live."
Exo
1:17 But the midwives feared God, and didn't do what the king of
Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.
Exo
1:18 The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them,
"Why have you done this thing, and have saved the boys alive?"
Exo
1:19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women
aren't like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth
before the midwife comes to them."
Exo
1:20 God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied,
and grew very mighty.
Exo
1:21 It happened, because the midwives feared God, that he gave them
families.
Exo
1:22 Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "You shall cast
every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall
save alive."
Matthew 26
Mat 26:1
It happened, when Jesus had finished all these words, that he said to
his disciples,
Mat 26:2
"You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the
Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."
Mat 26:3
Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people
were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was
called Caiaphas.
Mat 26:4
They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit, and
kill him.
Mat 26:5
But they said, "Not during the feast, lest a riot occur among
the people."
Mat 26:6
Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
Mat 26:7
a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive
ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table.
Mat 26:8
But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, "Why
this waste?
Mat 26:9
For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the
poor."
Mat 26:10
However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, "Why do you trouble
the woman? Because she has done a good work for me.
Mat 26:11
For you always have the poor with you; but you don't always have me.
Mat 26:12
For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for
burial.
Mat 26:13
Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the
whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a
memorial of her."
Mat 26:14
Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the
chief priests,
Mat 26:15
and said, "What are you willing to give me, that I should
deliver him to you?" They weighed out for him thirty pieces of
silver.
Mat 26:16
From that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
Mat 26:17
Now on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to
Jesus, saying to him, "Where do you want us to prepare for you
to eat the Passover?"
Mat 26:18
He said, "Go into the city to a certain person, and tell him,
'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover
at your house with my disciples." ' "
Mat 26:19
The disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and they prepared the
Passover.
Mat 26:20
Now when evening had come, he was reclining at the table with the
twelve disciples.
Mat 26:21
As they were eating, he said, "Most certainly I tell you that
one of you will betray me."
Mat 26:22
They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each began to ask him, "It
isn't me, is it, Lord?"
Mat 26:23
He answered, "He who dipped his hand with me in the dish, the
same will betray me.
Mat 26:24
The Son of Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that
man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for
that man if he had not been born."
Mat 26:25
Judas, who betrayed him, answered, "It isn't me, is it, Rabbi?"
He said to him, "You said it."
Mat 26:26
As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke
it. He gave to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my
body."
Mat 26:27
He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, "All of
you drink it,
Mat 26:28
for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for
many for the remission of sins.
Mat 26:29
But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from
now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's
Kingdom."
Mat 26:30
When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Mat 26:31
Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble
because of me tonight, for it is written, 'I will strike the
shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
Mat 26:32
But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee."
Mat 26:33
But Peter answered him, "Even if all will be made to stumble
because of you, I will never be made to stumble."
Mat 26:34
Jesus said to him, "Most certainly I tell you that tonight,
before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."
Mat 26:35
Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny
you." All of the disciples also said likewise.
Mat 26:36
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to
his disciples, "Sit here, while I go there and pray."
Mat 26:37
He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be
sorrowful and severely troubled.
Mat 26:38
Then he said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to
death. Stay here, and watch with me."
Mat 26:39
He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "My
Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me;
nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire."
Mat 26:40
He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter,
"What, couldn't you watch with me for one hour?
Mat 26:41
Watch and pray, that you don't enter into temptation. The spirit
indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Mat 26:42
Again, a second time he went away, and prayed, saying, "My
Father, if this cup can't pass away from me unless I drink it, your
desire be done."
Mat 26:43
He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
Mat 26:44
He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the
same words.
Mat 26:45
Then he came to his disciples, and said to them, "Sleep on now,
and take your rest. Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man
is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Mat 26:46
Arise, let's be going. Behold, he who betrays me is at hand."
Mat 26:47
While he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came,
and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief
priest and elders of the people.
Mat 26:48
Now he who betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, "Whoever I
kiss, he is the one. Seize him."
Mat 26:49
Immediately he came to Jesus, and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and
kissed him.
Mat 26:50
Jesus said to him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then they
came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
Mat 26:51
Behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and
drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and struck
off his ear.
Mat 26:52
Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place, for
all those who take the sword will die by the sword.
Mat 26:53
Or do you think that I couldn't ask my Father, and he would even now
send me more than twelve legions of angels?
Mat 26:54
How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so?"
Mat 26:55
In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out as
against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily in
the temple teaching, and you didn't arrest me.
Mat 26:56
But all this has happened, that the Scriptures of the prophets might
be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him, and fled.
Mat 26:57
Those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest,
where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
Mat 26:58
But Peter followed him from a distance, to the court of the high
priest, and entered in and sat with the officers, to see the end.
Mat 26:59
Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false
testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death;
Mat 26:60
and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward,
they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward,
Mat 26:61
and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of
God, and to build it in three days.' "
Mat 26:62
The high priest stood up, and said to him, "Have you no answer?
What is this that these testify against you?"
Mat 26:63
But Jesus held his peace. The high priest answered him, "I
adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the
Christ, the Son of God."
Mat 26:64
Jesus said to him, "You have said it. Nevertheless, I tell you,
after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of
Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky."
Mat 26:65
Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, "He has spoken
blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have
heard his blasphemy.
Mat 26:66
What do you think?" They answered, "He is worthy of death!"
Mat 26:67
Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some
slapped him,
Mat 26:68
saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who hit you?"
Mat 26:69
Now Peter was sitting outside in the court, and a maid came to him,
saying, "You were also with Jesus, the Galilean!"
Mat 26:70
But he denied it before them all, saying, "I don't know what you
are talking about."
Mat 26:71
When he had gone out onto the porch, someone else saw him, and said
to those who were there, "This man also was with Jesus of
Nazareth."
Mat 26:72
Again he denied it with an oath, "I don't know the man."
Mat 26:73
After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter,
"Surely you are also one of them, for your speech makes you
known."
Mat 26:74
Then he began to curse and to swear, "I don't know the man!"
Immediately the rooster crowed.
Mat 26:75
Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said to him, "Before
the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out
and wept bitterly.
It
might be tempting to get the wrong impression and think that making
assumptions in science is a bad practice, especially upon reading
various writings from the creationist community. Creation scientists,
for instance, correctly relate many of the problems inherent in the
assumptions of evolutionary geologic dating techniques that tend to
yield extremely old ages for the items they test. But do not fall victim
to the same fallacy that the evolutionary community makes in assuming
too much. As is the case with the fact that scientific theories can be
good things (see