Hebrews 12; Exodus 16; Exodus 17; Proverbs 7:6-27

Hebrews 12

1 Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us,

2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne.

3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, so that you won't grow weary and lose heart.

4 In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord's discipline lightly, or faint when you are reproved by Him;

6 for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and punishes every son whom He receives.

7 Endure it as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline?

8 But if you are without discipline-which all receive-then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

9 Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn't we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live?

10 For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness.

11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees,

13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but healed instead.

14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness-without it no one will see the Lord.

15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many.

16 And see that there isn't any immoral or irreverent person like Esau, who sold his birthright in exchange for one meal.

17 For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected because he didn't find any opportunity for repentance, though he sought it with tears.

18 For you have not come to what could be touched, to a blazing fire, to darkness, gloom, and storm,

19 to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words. (Those who heard it begged that not another word be spoken to them,

20 for they could not bear what was commanded: And if even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned!

21 And the appearance was so terrifying that Moses said, I am terrified and trembling. )

22 Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels in festive gathering,

23 to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to God who is the judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect,

24 to Jesus (mediator of a new covenant), and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the [blood] of Abel.

25 See that you do not reject the One who speaks; for if they did not escape when they rejected Him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven.

26 His voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven.

27 Now this expression, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of what can be shaken-that is, created things-so that what is not shaken might remain.

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe;

29 for our God is a consuming fire.

Exodus 16

1 The entire Israelite community departed from Elim and came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt.

2 The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.

3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the Lord's hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!"

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow My instructions.

5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days."

6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites: "This evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt;

7 in the morning you will see the Lord's glory because He has heard your complaints about Him. For who are we that you complain about us?"

8 Moses continued, "The Lord will give you meat to eat this evening and abundant bread in the morning, for He has heard the complaints that you are raising against Him. Who are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord."

9 Then Moses told Aaron, "Say to the entire Israelite community, 'Come before the Lord, for He has heard your complaints.' "

10 As Aaron was speaking to the entire Israelite community, they turned toward the wilderness, and there, in a cloud, the Lord's glory appeared.

11 The Lord spoke to Moses,

12 "I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them: At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat bread until you are full. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God."

13 So at evening quail came and covered the camp. In the morning there was a layer of dew all around the camp.

14 When the layer of dew evaporated, there on the desert surface were fine flakes, as fine as frost on the ground.

15 When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, "What is it?" because they didn't know what it was. Moses told them, "It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.

16 This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Gather as much of it as each person needs to eat. You may take two quarts per individual, according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.' "

17 So the Israelites did this. Some gathered a lot, some a little.

18 When they measured it by quarts, the person who gathered a lot had no surplus, and the person who gathered a little had no shortage. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat.

19 Moses said to them, "No one is to let any of it remain until morning."

20 But they didn't listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and smelled. Therefore Moses was angry with them.

21 They gathered it every morning. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat, but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, four quarts apiece, and all the leaders of the community came and reported [this] to Moses.

23 He told them, "This is what the Lord has said: 'Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil, and everything left over set aside to be kept until morning.' "

24 So they set it aside until morning as Moses commanded, and it didn't smell or have any maggots in it.

25 "Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath to the Lord. Today you won't find any in the field.

26 For six days you may gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none."

27 Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any.

28 Then the Lord said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep My commands and instructions?

29 Understand that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day He will give you two days' worth of bread. Each of you stay where you are; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day."

30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 The house of Israel named the substance manna. It resembled coriander seed, was white, and tasted like wafers [made] with honey.

32 Moses said, "This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Two quarts of it are to be preserved throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.' "

33 Moses told Aaron, "Take a container and put two quarts of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be preserved throughout your generations."

34 As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron placed it before the testimony to be preserved.

35 The Israelites ate manna for 40 years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate manna until they reached the border of the land of Canaan.

36 (Two quarts are a tenth of an ephah.)

Exodus 17

1 The entire Israelite community left the Wilderness of Sin, moving from one place to the next according to the Lord's command. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

2 So the people complained to Moses: "Give us water to drink." "Why are you complaining to me?" Moses replied to them. "Why are you testing the Lord?"

3 But the people thirsted there for water, and grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you ever bring us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"

4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, "What should I do with these people? In a little while they will stone me!"

5 The Lord answered Moses, "Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take the rod you struck the Nile with in your hand and go.

6 I am going to stand there in front of you on the rock at Horeb; when you hit the rock, water will come out of it and the people will drink." Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7 He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites complained, and because they tested the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?"

8 At Rephidim, Amalek came and fought against Israel.

9 Moses said to Joshua, "Select some men for us, and go fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with God's staff in my hand."

10 Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 While Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek prevailed.

12 When Moses' hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put [it] under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.

13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword.

14 The Lord then said to Moses, "Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven."

15 And Moses built an altar and named it, "The Lord Is My Banner."

16 He said, "Indeed, [my] hand is [lifted up] toward the Lord's throne. The Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation."

Proverbs 7:6-27

6 At the window of my house I looked through my lattice.

7 I saw among the inexperienced, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking sense.

8 Crossing the street near her corner, he strolled down the road to her house

9 at twilight, in the evening, in the dark of the night.

10 A woman came to meet him, dressed like a prostitute, having a hidden agenda.

11 She is loud and defiant; her feet do not stay at home.

12 Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.

13 She grabs him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him,

14 "I've made fellowship offerings; today I've fulfilled my vows.

15 So I came out to meet you, to search for you, and I've found you.

16 I've spread coverings on my bed- richly colored linen from Egypt.

17 I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

18 Come, let's drink deeply of lovemaking until morning. Let's feast on each other's love!

19 My husband isn't home; he went on a long journey.

20 He took a bag of money with him and will come home at the time of the full moon."

21 She seduces him with her persistent pleading; she lures with her flattering talk.

22 He follows her impulsively like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding toward a trap

23 until an arrow pierces its liver, like a bird darting into a snare- he doesn't know it will cost him his life.

24 Now, [my] sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words of my mouth.

25 Don't let your heart turn aside to her ways; don't stray onto her paths.

26 For she has brought many down to death; her victims are countless.

27 Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.