EXODUS 5

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Making Bricks Without Straw  5:1 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 a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” 3 Then they said, “The 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.” 4 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 burdens.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!” 6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 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.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”
    10 So the 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 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 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 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.”
    22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”

PSALM 22

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Why Have You Forsaken Me?To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.
22:1

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

and by night, but I find no rest.
3

Yet you are holy,

enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4

In you our fathers trusted;

they trusted, and you delivered them. 5

To you they cried and were rescued;

in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6

But I am a worm and not a man,

scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7

All who see me mock me;

they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8

“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;

let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
9

Yet you are he who took me from the womb;

you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. 10

On you was I cast from my birth,

and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. 11

Be not far from me,

for trouble is near,

and there is none to help.
12

Many bulls encompass me;

strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13

they open wide their mouths at me,

like a ravening and roaring lion.
14

I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like wax;

it is melted within my breast; 15

my strength is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to my jaws;

you lay me in the dust of death.
16

For dogs encompass me;

a company of evildoers encircles me;

they have pierced my hands and feet— 17

I can count all my bones—

they stare and gloat over me; 18

they divide my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.
19

But you, O Lord, do not be far off!

O you my help, come quickly to my aid! 20

Deliver my soul from the sword,

my precious life from the power of the dog! 21

Save me from the mouth of the lion!

You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
22

I will tell of your name to my brothers;

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 23

You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,

and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 24

For he has not despised or abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted,

and he has not hidden his face from him,

but has heard, when he cried to him.
25

From you comes my praise in the great congregation;

my vows I will perform before those who fear him. 26

The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;

those who seek him shall praise the Lord!

May your hearts live forever!
27

All the ends of the earth shall remember

and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

shall worship before you. 28

For kingship belongs to the Lord,

and he rules over the nations.
29

All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,

even the one who could not keep himself alive. 30

Posterity shall serve him;

it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 31

they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,

that he has done it.

PROVERBS 26

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26:1

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,

so honor is not fitting for a fool. 2

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,

a curse that is causeless does not alight. 3

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

and a rod for the back of fools. 4

Answer not a fool according to his folly,

lest you be like him yourself. 5

Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be wise in his own eyes. 6

Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool

cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. 7

Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless,

is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 8

Like one who binds the stone in the sling

is one who gives honor to a fool. 9

Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard

is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 10

Like an archer who wounds everyone

is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. 11

Like a dog that returns to his vomit

is a fool who repeats his folly. 12

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him. 13

The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!

There is a lion in the streets!” 14

As a door turns on its hinges,

so does a sluggard on his bed. 15

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;

it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. 16

The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes

than seven men who can answer sensibly. 17

Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own

is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears. 18

Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death 19

is the man who deceives his neighbor

and says, “I am only joking!” 20

For lack of wood the fire goes out,

and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. 21

As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,

so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. 22

The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;

they go down into the inner parts of the body. 23

Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel

are fervent lips with an evil heart. 24

Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips

and harbors deceit in his heart; 25

when he speaks graciously, believe him not,

for there are seven abominations in his heart; 26

though his hatred be covered with deception,

his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. 27

Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,

and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. 28

A lying tongue hates its victims,

and a flattering mouth works ruin.