Hebrews 8; Exodus 5; Exodus 6:1-27; Proverbs 1

Hebrews 8

1 Now the main point of what is being said is this: we have this kind of high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

2 a minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle, which the Lord set up, and not man.

3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; therefore it was necessary for this [priest] also to have something to offer.

4 Now if He were on earth, He wouldn't be a priest, since there are those offering the gifts prescribed by the law.

5 These serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was warned when he was about to complete the tabernacle. For He said, Be careful that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.

6 But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree He is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been legally enacted on better promises.

7 For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, no opportunity would have been sought for a second one.

8 But finding fault with His people, He says: "Look, the days are coming," says the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-

9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day I took them by their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. Because they did not continue in My covenant, I disregarded them," says the Lord.

10 "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days," says the Lord: "I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.

11 And each person will not teach his fellow citizen, and each his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them.

12 For I will be merciful to their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins."

13 By saying, a new [ covenant ], He has declared that the first is old. And what is old and aging is about to disappear.

Exodus 5

1 Later, Moses and Aaron went in and said to Pharaoh, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let My people go, so that they may hold a festival for Me in the wilderness."

2 But Pharaoh responded, "Who is the Lord that I should obey Him by letting Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and what's more, I will not let Israel go."

3 Then they answered, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, or else He may strike us with plague or sword."

4 The king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why are you causing the people to neglect their work? Get to your labors!"

5 Pharaoh also said, "Look, the people of the land are so numerous, and you would stop them from working."

6 That day Pharaoh commanded the overseers of the people as well as their foremen:

7 "Don't continue to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and gather straw for themselves.

8 But require the same quota of bricks from them as they were making before; do not reduce it. For they are slackers-that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'

9 Impose heavier work on the men. Then they will be occupied with it and not pay attention to deceptive words."

10 So the overseers and foremen of the people went out and said to them, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I am not giving you straw.

11 Go get straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but there will be no reduction at all in your workload.' "

12 So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

13 The overseers insisted, "Finish your assigned work each day, just as [you did] when straw was [provided]."

14 Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh's slave drivers had set over the people, were beaten and asked, "Why haven't you finished making your prescribed number of bricks yesterday or today, as [you did] before?"

15 So the Israelite foremen went in and cried for help to Pharaoh: "Why are you treating your servants this way?

16 No straw has been given to your servants, yet they say to us, 'Make bricks!' Look, your servants are being beaten, but it is your own people who are at fault."

17 But he said, "You are slackers. Slackers! That is why you are saying, 'Let us go sacrifice to the Lord.'

18 Now get to work. No straw will be given to you, but you must produce the same quantity of bricks."

19 The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, "You cannot reduce your daily quota of bricks."

20 When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood [waiting] to meet them.

21 "May the Lord take note of you and judge," they said to them, "because you have made us reek in front of Pharaoh and his officials-putting a sword in their hand to kill us!"

22 So Moses went back to the Lord and asked, "Lord, why have You caused trouble for this people? And why did You ever send me?

23 Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak in Your name he has caused trouble for this people, and You haven't delivered Your people at all."

Exodus 6:1-27

1 But the Lord replied to Moses, "Now you are going to see what I will do to Pharaoh: he will let them go because of My strong hand; he will drive them out of his land because of My strong hand."

2 Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, "I am Yahweh.

3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not make My name Yahweh known to them.

4 I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land they lived in as foreigners.

5 Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are forcing to work as slaves, and I have remembered My covenant.

6 "Therefore tell the Israelites: I am Yahweh, and I will deliver you from the forced labor of the Egyptians and free you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment.

7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am Yahweh your God, who delivered you from the forced labor of the Egyptians.

8 I will bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord."

9 Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their broken spirit and hard labor.

10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses,

11 "Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go from his land."

12 But Moses said in the Lord's presence: "If the Israelites will not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am such a poor speaker?"

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them commands concerning both the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

14 These are the heads of their fathers' families: The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These are the clans of Reuben.

15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These are the clans of Simeon.

16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their genealogy: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.

17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans.

18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their genealogy.

20 Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.

21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.

22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

23 Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon. She bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the clans of the Korahites.

25 Aaron's son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the Levite families by their clans.

26 It was this Aaron and Moses whom the Lord told, "Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their divisions."

27 Moses and Aaron were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

Proverbs 1

1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2 For gaining wisdom and being instructed; for understanding insightful sayings;

3 for receiving wise instruction [in] righteousness, justice, and integrity;

4 for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion to a young man-

5 a wise man will listen and increase his learning, and a discerning man will obtain guidance-

6 for understanding a proverb or a parable, the words of the wise, and their riddles.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction, and don't reject your mother's teaching,

9 for they will be a garland of grace on your head and a [gold] chain around your neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice you, don't be persuaded.

11 If they say-"Come with us! Let's set an ambush and kill someone. Let's attack some innocent person just for fun!

12 Let's swallow them alive, like Sheol, still healthy as they go down to the Pit.

13 We'll find all kinds of valuable property and fill our houses with plunder.

14 Throw in your lot with us, and we'll all share our money"-

15 my son, don't travel that road with them or set foot on their path,

16 because their feet run toward trouble and they hurry to commit murder.

17 It is foolish to spread a net where any bird can see it,

18 but they set an ambush to kill themselves; they attack their own lives.

19 Such are the paths of all who pursue gain dishonestly; it takes the lives of those who profit from it.

20 Wisdom calls out in the street; she raises her voice in the public squares.

21 She cries out above the commotion; she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:

22 "How long, foolish ones, will you love ignorance? [How long] will [you] mockers enjoy mocking and [you] fools hate knowledge?

23 If you turn to my discipline, then I will pour out my spirit on you and teach you my words.

24 Since I called out and you refused, extended my hand and no one paid attention,

25 since you neglected all my counsel and did not accept my correction,

26 I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when terror strikes you,

27 when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when trouble and stress overcome you.

28 Then they will call me, but I won't answer; they will search for me, but won't find me.

29 Because they hated knowledge, didn't choose to fear the Lord,

30 were not interested in my counsel, and rejected all my correction,

31 they will eat the fruit of their way and be glutted with their own schemes.

32 For the waywardness of the inexperienced will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

33 But whoever listens to me will live securely and be free from the fear of danger."