Daily Lectionary

Exodus 1:1-22

¹ These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:
² Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
³ Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
⁴ Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
⁵ All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt.
⁶ Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.
⁷ But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
⁸ Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
⁹ And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.
¹⁰ Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.”
¹¹ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses.
¹² But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.
¹³ So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves
¹⁴ and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.
¹⁵ Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,
¹⁶ “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.”
¹⁷ But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.
¹⁸ So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?”
¹⁹ The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”
²⁰ So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong.
²¹ And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
²² Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.” (ESV)

Mark 14:12-31

¹² And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
¹³ And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him,
¹⁴ and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’
¹⁵ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.”
¹⁶ And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
¹⁷ And when it was evening, he came with the twelve.
¹⁸ And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”
¹⁹ They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?”
²⁰ He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.
²¹ For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
²² And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.”
²³ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.
²⁴ And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
²⁵ Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
²⁶ And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
²⁷ And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’
²⁸ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
²⁹ Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.”
³⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
³¹ But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same. (ESV)