Daily Bible CEV February 16 Scroll

Hebrews 11 ²²And right before Joseph died, he had faith that God would lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. So he told them to take his bones with them.

²³Because Moses' parents had faith, they kept him hidden until he was three months old. They saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's orders. ²⁴Then after Moses grew up, his faith made him refuse to be called the king's grandson. ²⁵He chose to be mistreated with God's people instead of having the good time that sin could bring for a little while. ²⁶Moses knew that the treasures of Egypt were not as wonderful as what he would receive from suffering for the Messiah, and he looked forward to his reward.

²⁷Because of his faith, Moses left Egypt. Moses had seen the invisible God and wasn't afraid of the king's anger. ²⁸His faith also made him celebrate Passover. He sprinkled the blood of animals on the doorposts, so that the first-born sons of the people of Israel would not be killed by the destroying angel.

²⁹Because of their faith, the people walked through the Red Sea on dry land. But when the Egyptians tried to do it, they were drowned.

³⁰God's people had faith, and when they had walked around the city of Jericho for seven days, its walls fell down.

³¹Rahab had been a prostitute, but she had faith and welcomed the spies. So she wasn't killed with the people who disobeyed.

³²What else can I say? There isn't enough time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. ³³Their faith helped them conquer kingdoms, and because they did right, God made promises to them. They closed the jaws of lions ³⁴and put out raging fires and escaped from the swords of their enemies. Although they were weak, they were given the strength and power to chase foreign armies away.

³⁵Some women received their loved ones back from death. Many of these people were tortured, but they refused to be released. They were sure that they would get a better reward when the dead are raised to life. ³⁶Others were made fun of and beaten with whips, and some were chained in jail. ³⁷Still others were stoned to death or sawed in two or killed with swords. Some had nothing but sheep skins or goat skins to wear. They were poor, mistreated, and tortured. ³⁸The world did not deserve these good people, who had to wander in deserts and on mountains and had to live in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹All of them pleased God because of their faith! But still they died without being given what had been promised. ⁴⁰This was because God had something better in store for us. And he did not want them to reach the goal of their faith without us.

The Song of Moses

Exodus 15 Moses and the Israelites sang this song in praise of the LORD:

I sing praises to the LORD for his great victory!

He has thrown the horses and their riders into the sea.

²The LORD is my strength, the reason for my song,

because he has saved me.

I praise and honor the LORD-- he is my God

and the God of my ancestors.

³The LORD is his name, and he is a warrior!

⁴He threw the chariots and army of Egypt's king

into the Red Sea,

and he drowned the best of the king's officers.

⁵

They sank to the bottom just like stones.

⁶With the tremendous force of your right arm, our LORD,

you crushed your enemies.

⁷What a great victory was yours,

as you defeated everyone who opposed you.

Your fiery anger wiped them out,

as though they were straw.

⁸You were so furious that the sea piled up like a wall,

and the ocean depths curdled like cheese.

⁹Your enemies boasted that they would

pursue and capture us, divide up our possessions,

treat us as they wished,

then take out their swords and kill us right there.

¹⁰But when you got furious, they sank like lead,

swallowed by ocean waves.

¹¹Our LORD, no other gods compare with you--

Majestic and holy! Fearsome and glorious!

Miracle worker!

¹²When you signaled with your right hand,

your enemies were swallowed deep into the earth.

¹³The people you rescued were led by your powerful love

to your holy place.

¹⁴Nations learned of this and trembled--

Philistines shook with horror.

¹⁵The leaders of Edom and of Moab were terrified.

Everyone in Canaan fainted, ¹⁶struck down by fear.

Our LORD, your powerful arm kept them still as a rock

until the people you rescued for your very own

had marched by.

¹⁷You will let your people settle on your chosen mountain,

where you built your home and your temple.

¹⁸Our LORD, you will rule forever!

The Song of Miriam

¹⁹The LORD covered the royal Egyptian cavalry and chariots with the sea, after the Israelites had walked safely through on dry ground. ²⁰Miriam the sister of Aaron was a prophet. So she took her tambourine and led the other women out to play their tambourines and to dance. ²¹Then she sang to them:

"Sing praises to the LORD for his great victory!

He has thrown the horses and their riders into the sea."

Bitter Water at Marah

²²After the Israelites left the Red Sea, Moses led them through the Shur Desert for three days, before finding water. ²³They did find water at Marah, but it was bitter, which is how that place got its name. ²⁴The people complained and said, "Moses, what are we going to drink?"

²⁵Moses asked the LORD for help, and the LORD told him to throw a piece of wood into the water. Moses did so, and the water became fit to drink.

At Marah the LORD tested his people and also gave them some laws and teachings. ²⁶Then he said, "I am the LORD your God, and I cure your diseases. If you obey me by doing right and by following my laws and teachings, I won't punish you with the diseases I sent on the Egyptians."

²⁷Later the Israelites came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees. So they camped there.

Don't Be Foolish

Proverbs 6 My child, suppose you agree to pay the debt of someone,

who cannot repay a loan.

²Then you are trapped by your own words,

and you are now in the power of someone else.

Here is what you should do:

Go and beg for permission to call off the agreement.

⁴Do this before you fall asleep or even get sleepy.

⁵Save yourself, just as a deer or a bird

tries to escape from a hunter.

⁶You lazy people can learn by watching an anthill.

⁷Ants don't have leaders,

⁸

but they store up food during harvest season.

⁹How long will you lie there doing nothing at all?

When are you going to get up and stop sleeping?

¹⁰Sleep a little. Doze a little.

Fold your hands and twiddle your thumbs.

¹¹Suddenly, everything is gone,

as though it had been taken by an armed robber.

¹²Worthless liars go around ¹³winking

and giving signals to deceive others.

¹⁴They are always thinking up something cruel and evil,

and they stir up trouble.

¹⁵But they will be struck by sudden disaster

and left without a hope.

¹⁶There are six or seven kinds of people

the LORD doesn't like:

¹⁷Those who are too proud or tell lies or murder,

¹⁸

those who make evil plans or are quick to do wrong,

¹⁹those who tell lies in court

or stir up trouble in a family.

²⁰Obey the teaching of your parents--

²¹

always keep it in mind and never forget it.

²²Their teaching will guide you when you walk,

protect you when you sleep,

and talk to you when you are awake.

²³The Law of the Lord is a lamp,

and its teachings shine brightly.

Correction and self-control will lead you through life.

²⁴They will protect you

from the flattering words of someone else's wife.

²⁵Don't let yourself be attracted by the charm

and lovely eyes of someone like that.

²⁶A woman who sells her love can be bought

for as little as the price of a meal.

But making love to another man's wife

will cost you everything.

²⁷If you carry burning coals, you burn your clothes;

²⁸

if you step on hot coals, you burn your feet.

²⁹And if you go to bed with another man's wife,

you pay the price.

³⁰We don't put up with thieves,

not even with one who steals for something to eat.

³¹And thieves who get caught must pay back

seven times what was stolen and lose everything.

³²But if you go to bed with another man's wife,

you will destroy yourself by your own stupidity.

³³You will be beaten and forever disgraced,

³⁴because a jealous husband can be furious and merciless

when he takes revenge.

³⁵He won't let you pay him off, no matter what you offer.

The Foolishness of Unfaithfulness

Proverbs 7 My son, pay close attention

and don't forget what I tell you to do.

²Obey me, and you will live!

Let my instructions be your greatest treasure.

³Keep them at your fingertips

and write them in your mind.

⁴Let wisdom be your sister

and make common sense your closest friend.

⁵They will protect you

from the flattering words of someone else's wife.

These daily Bible readings from the Contemporary English Version (CEV) are published by BibleNetUSA. The web site and BibleCard® designs are by iCreative. BibleCard® images copyright iCreative. All rights reserved.