Daily Bible GNT February 16 Scroll

Hebrews 11²²It was faith that made Joseph, when he was about to die, speak of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, and leave instructions about what should be done with his body.

²³It was faith that made the parents of Moses hide him for three months after he was born. They saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's order.

²⁴It was faith that made Moses, when he had grown up, refuse to be called the son of the king's daughter. ²⁵He preferred to suffer with God's people rather than to enjoy sin for a little while. ²⁶He reckoned that to suffer scorn for the Messiah was worth far more than all the treasures of Egypt, for he kept his eyes on the future reward.

²⁷It was faith that made Moses leave Egypt without being afraid of the king's anger. As though he saw the invisible God, he refused to turn back. ²⁸It was faith that made him establish the Passover and order the blood to be sprinkled on the doors, so that the Angel of Death would not kill the first-born sons of the Israelites.

²⁹It was faith that made the Israelites able to cross the Red Sea as if on dry land; when the Egyptians tried to do it, the water swallowed them up.

³⁰It was faith that made the walls of Jericho fall down after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days. ³¹It was faith that kept the prostitute Rahab from being killed with those who disobeyed God, for she gave the Israelite spies a friendly welcome.

³²Should I go on? There isn't enough time for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. ³³Through faith they fought whole countries and won. They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴put out fierce fires, escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners. ³⁵Through faith women received their dead relatives raised back to life.

Others, refusing to accept freedom, died under torture in order to be raised to a better life. ³⁶Some were mocked and whipped, and others were put in chains and taken off to prison. ³⁷They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were killed by the sword. They went around clothed in skins of sheep or goats--poor, persecuted, and mistreated. ³⁸The world was not good enough for them! They wandered like refugees in the deserts and hills, living in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹What a record all of these have won by their faith! Yet they did not receive what God had promised, ⁴⁰because God had decided on an even better plan for us. His purpose was that only in company with us would they be made perfect.

The Song of Moses

Exodus 15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:

"I will sing to the LORD, because he has won a glorious victory;

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

²The LORD is my strong defender;

he is the one who has saved me.

He is my God, and I will praise him,

my father's God, and I will sing about his greatness.

³The LORD is a warrior;

the LORD is his name.

⁴"He threw Egypt's army and its chariots into the sea;

the best of its officers were drowned in the Red Sea.

⁵The deep sea covered them;

they sank to the bottom like a stone.

⁶"Your right hand, LORD, is awesome in power;

it breaks the enemy in pieces.

⁷In majestic triumph you overthrow your foes;

your anger blazes out and burns them up like straw.

⁸You blew on the sea and the water piled up high;

it stood up straight like a wall;

the deepest part of the sea became solid.

⁹The enemy said, 'I will pursue them and catch them;

I will divide their wealth and take all I want;

I will draw my sword and take all they have.'

¹⁰But one breath from you, LORD, and the Egyptians were drowned;

they sank like lead in the terrible water.

¹¹"LORD, who among the gods is like you?

Who is like you, wonderful in holiness?

Who can work miracles and mighty acts like yours?

¹²You stretched out your right hand,

and the earth swallowed our enemies.

¹³Faithful to your promise, you led the people you had rescued;

by your strength you guided them to your sacred land.

¹⁴The nations have heard, and they tremble with fear;

the Philistines are seized with terror.

¹⁵The leaders of Edom are terrified;

Moab's mighty men are trembling;

the people of Canaan lose their courage.

¹⁶Terror and dread fall upon them.

They see your strength, O LORD,

and stand helpless with fear

until your people have marched past--

the people you set free from slavery.

¹⁷You bring them in and plant them on your mountain,

the place that you, LORD, have chosen for your home,

the Temple that you yourself have built.

¹⁸You, LORD, will be king forever and ever."

The Song of Miriam

¹⁹The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. But when the Egyptian chariots with their horses and drivers went into the sea, the LORD brought the water back, and it covered them.

²⁰The prophet Miriam, Aaron's sister, took her tambourine, and all the women followed her, playing tambourines and dancing. ²¹Miriam sang for them:

"Sing to the LORD, because he has won a glorious victory;

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

Bitter Water

²²Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea into the desert of Shur. For three days they walked through the desert, but found no water. ²³Then they came to a place called Marah, but the water there was so bitter that they could not drink it. That is why it was named Marah. ²⁴The people complained to Moses and asked, "What are we going to drink?" ²⁵Moses prayed earnestly to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood, which he threw into the water; and the water became fit to drink.

There the LORD gave them laws to live by, and there he also tested them. ²⁶He said, "If you will obey me completely by doing what I consider right and by keeping my commands, I will not punish you with any of the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians. I am the LORD, the one who heals you."

²⁷Next they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees; there they camped by the water.

More Warnings

Proverbs 6 My child, have you promised to be responsible for someone else's debts? ²Have you been caught by your own words, trapped by your own promises? ³Well then, my child, you are in that person's power, but this is how to get out of it: hurry to him, and beg him to release you. ⁴Don't let yourself go to sleep or even stop to rest. ⁵Get out of the trap like a bird or a deer escaping from a hunter.

⁶Lazy people should learn a lesson from the way ants live. ⁷They have no leader, chief, or ruler, ⁸but they store up their food during the summer, getting ready for winter. ⁹How long is the lazy man going to lie around? When is he ever going to get up? ¹⁰"I'll just take a short nap," he says; "I'll fold my hands and rest a while." ¹¹But while he sleeps, poverty will attack him like an armed robber.

¹²Worthless, wicked people go around telling lies. ¹³They wink and make gestures to deceive you, ¹⁴all the while planning evil in their perverted minds, stirring up trouble everywhere. ¹⁵Because of this, disaster will strike them without warning, and they will be fatally wounded.

^16-19There are seven things that the LORD hates and cannot tolerate:
A proud look,

a lying tongue,

hands that kill innocent people,

a mind that thinks up wicked plans,

feet that hurry off to do evil,

a witness who tells one lie after another,

and someone who stirs up trouble among friends.

Warning against Adultery

²⁰Son, do what your father tells you and never forget what your mother taught you. ²¹Keep their words with you always, locked in your heart. ²²Their teaching will lead you when you travel, protect you at night, and advise you during the day. ²³Their instructions are a shining light; their correction can teach you how to live. ²⁴It can keep you away from bad women, from the seductive words of other men's wives. ²⁵Don't be tempted by their beauty; don't be trapped by their flirting eyes. ²⁶A man can hire a prostitute for the price of a loaf of bread, but adultery will cost him all he has.

²⁷Can you carry fire against your chest without burning your clothes? ²⁸Can you walk on hot coals without burning your feet? ²⁹It is just as dangerous to sleep with another man's wife. Whoever does it will suffer. ³⁰People don't despise a thief if he steals food when he is hungry; ³¹yet if he is caught, he must pay back seven times more--he must give up everything he has. ³²But a man who commits adultery doesn't have any sense. He is just destroying himself. ³³He will be dishonored and beaten up; he will be permanently disgraced. ³⁴A husband is never angrier than when he is jealous; his revenge knows no limits. ³⁵He will not accept any payment; no amount of gifts will satisfy his anger.
Proverbs 7 My child, remember what I say and never forget what I tell you to do. ²Do what I say, and you will live. Be as careful to follow my teaching as you are to protect your eyes. ³Keep my teaching with you all the time; write it on your heart. ⁴Treat wisdom as your sister, and insight as your closest friend. ⁵They will keep you away from other men's wives, from women with seductive words.

This reading is from The Holy Bible, Today's English Version, Second Edition copyright © American Bible Society, 1992;
Old Testament copyright © American Bible Society, 1976, 1992; New Testament © American Bible Society, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992.

These daily Bible readings from the Good News Translation (GNT), formerly the Today's English Version (TEV), are published by BibleNetUSA. The web site and BibleCard® designs are by iCreative. All BibleCard® images are copyrighted by iCreative. All rights reserved.