Signs, Plagues, and Resurrection Power

1. Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘Yahweh has not appeared to you.’” 2. Yahweh said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” 3. He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it. 4. Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand. 5. “That they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6. Yahweh said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. 7. He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh. 8. “It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. 9. It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.” 10. Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” 11. Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh? 12. Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.” 13. He said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.” 14. Yahweh’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15. You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. 16. He will be your spokesman to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God. 17. You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.” 18. Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19. Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.” 20. Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God’s rod in his hand. 21. Yahweh said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. 22. You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Yahweh says, Israel is my son, my firstborn, 23. and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me”; and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.’” 24. On the way at a lodging place, Yahweh met Moses and wanted to kill him. 25. Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26. So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision. 27. Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him. 28. Moses told Aaron all Yahweh’s words with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him. 29. Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. 30. Aaron spoke all the words which Yahweh had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31. The people believed, and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped. 1. Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2. Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go.” 3. They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.” 4. The king of Egypt said to them, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!” 5. 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 officers, saying, 7. “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8. The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9. Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it; and don’t let them pay any attention to lying words.” 10. The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you straw. 11. Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished.’” 12. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13. The taskmasters were urgent saying, “Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!” 14. The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?” 15. Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants? 16. No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, ‘Make brick!’ and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” 17. But he said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’ 18. Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!” 19. The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, “You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!” 20. They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came out from Pharaoh: 21. and they said to them, “May Yahweh look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.” 22. Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me? 23. For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; and you have not rescued your people at all.” 1. Yahweh said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by a strong hand he shall let them go, and by a strong hand he shall drive them out of his land.” 2. God spoke to Moses, and said to him, “I am Yahweh; 3. and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them. 4. I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens. 5. Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant. 6. Therefore tell the children of Israel, ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments: 7. and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8. I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am Yahweh.’” 9. Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn’t listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. 10. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 11. “Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.” 12. Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, “Behold, the children of Israel haven’t listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, who am of uncircumcised lips?” 13. Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a command to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. 14. These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben. 15. The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon. 16. These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years. 17. The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families. 18. The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred thirty-three years. 19. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations. 20. Amram took Jochebed his father’s sister to himself as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty-seven years. 21. The sons of Izhar: Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri. 22. The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23. Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 24. The sons of Korah: Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites. 25. Eleazar Aaron’s son took one of the daughters of Putiel as his wife; and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites according to their families. 26. These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom Yahweh said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.” 27. These are those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are that Moses and Aaron. 28. On the day when Yahweh spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “I am Yahweh. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to you.” 30. Moses said before Yahweh, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh listen to me?” 1. Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I have made you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. 2. You shall speak all that I command you; and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. 3. I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 4. But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring out my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5. The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh, when I stretch out my hand on Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” 6. Moses and Aaron did so. As Yahweh commanded them, so they did. 7. Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. 8. Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 9. “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Perform a miracle!’ then you shall tell Aaron, ‘Take your rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.’” 10. Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as Yahweh had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 11. Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing with their enchantments. 12. For they each cast down their rods, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken. 14. Yahweh said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go. 15. Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Behold, he goes out to the water; and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. 16. You shall tell him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness:” and behold, until now you haven’t listened. 17. Yahweh says, “In this you shall know that I am Yahweh. Behold, I will strike with the rod that is in my hand on the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. 18. The fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink water from the river.”’” 19. Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your rod, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’” 20. Moses and Aaron did so, as Yahweh commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21. The fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians couldn’t drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. 22. The magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken. 23. Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he didn’t even take this to heart. 24. All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink; for they couldn’t drink the river water. 25. Seven days were fulfilled, after Yahweh had struck the river.

1. Immediately in the morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate. 2. Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered, “So you say.” 3. The chief priests accused him of many things. 4. Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they testify against you!” 5. But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate marveled. 6. Now at the feast he used to release to them one prisoner, whom they asked of him. 7. There was one called Barabbas, bound with his fellow insurgents, men who in the insurrection had committed murder. 8. The multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do as he always did for them. 9. Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10. For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up. 11. But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should release Barabbas to them instead. 12. Pilate again asked them, “What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?” 13. They cried out again, “Crucify him!” 14. Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, “Crucify him!” 15. Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified. 16. The soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Praetorium; and they called together the whole cohort. 17. They clothed him with purple, and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18. They began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19. They struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him. 20. When they had mocked him, they took the purple off him, and put his own garments on him. They led him out to crucify him. 21. They compelled one passing by, coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them, that he might bear his cross. 22. They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, “The place of a skull.” 23. They offered him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but he didn’t take it. 24. Crucifying him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots on them, what each should take. 25. It was the third hour, and they crucified him. 26. The superscription of his accusation was written over him, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 27. With him they crucified two robbers; one on his right hand, and one on his left. 28. The Scripture was fulfilled, which says, “He was counted with transgressors.” 29. Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, 30. save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31. Likewise, also the chief priests mocking among themselves with the scribes said, “He saved others. He can’t save himself. 32. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe him.” Those who were crucified with him also insulted him. 33. When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34. At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35. Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36. One ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down.” 37. Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit. 38. The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. 39. When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” 40. There were also women watching from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; 41. who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and served him; and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. 42. When evening had now come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43. Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for God’s Kingdom, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. 44. Pilate marveled if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead long. 45. When he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46. He bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wound him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of a rock. He rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47. Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid. 1. When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2. Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3. They were saying among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4. for it was very big. Looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back. 5. Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed. 6. He said to them, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him! 7. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.’” 8. They went out, and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come on them. They said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid. 9. Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11. When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved. 12. After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country. 13. They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t believe them, either. 14. Afterward he was revealed to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they didn’t believe those who had seen him after he had risen. 15. He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation. 16. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned. 17. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; 18. they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19. So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20. They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.

1. Preserve me, God, for in you do I take refuge. 2. My soul, you have said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord. Apart from you I have no good thing.” 3. As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight. 4. Their sorrows shall be multiplied who give gifts to another god. Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take their names on my lips. 5. Yahweh assigned my portion and my cup. You made my lot secure. 6. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. Yes, I have a good inheritance. 7. I will bless Yahweh, who has given me counsel. Yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons. 8. I have set Yahweh always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9. Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices. My body shall also dwell in safety. 10. For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption. 11. You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures forever more.