13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

14 I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. 15 And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16 Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. 17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

20 Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. 22 You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. 23 But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

15 We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. 2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.

1 I cry out to God; yes, I shout.
    Oh, that God would listen to me!

2 When I was in deep trouble,
    I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
    but my soul was not comforted.

3 I think of God, and I moan,
    overwhelmed with longing for his help. Interlude

4 You don’t let me sleep.
    I am too distressed even to pray!

5 I think of the good old days,
    long since ended,

6 when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
    I search my soul and ponder the difference now.

7 Has the Lord rejected me forever?
    Will he never again be kind to me?

8 Is his unfailing love gone forever?
    Have his promises permanently failed?

9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude

10 And I said, “This is my fate;
    the Most High has turned his hand against me.”

11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
    I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.

12 They are constantly in my thoughts.
    I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

13 O God, your ways are holy.
    Is there any god as mighty as you?

14 You are the God of great wonders!
    You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.

15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people,
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Interlude

16 When the Red Sea saw you, O God,
    its waters looked and trembled!
    The sea quaked to its very depths.

17 The clouds poured down rain;
    the thunder rumbled in the sky.
    Your arrows of lightning flashed.

18 Your thunder roared from the whirlwind;
    the lightning lit up the world!
    The earth trembled and shook.

19 Your road led through the sea,
    your pathway through the mighty waters—
    a pathway no one knew was there!

20 You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep,
    with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.

1 Better to be poor and honest

    than to be dishonest and a fool.

2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good;

    haste makes mistakes.

3 People ruin their lives by their own foolishness

    and then are angry at the Lord.

4 Wealth makes many “friends”;

    poverty drives them all away.

5 A false witness will not go unpunished,

    nor will a liar escape.

6 Many seek favors from a ruler;

    everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!

7 The relatives of the poor despise them;

    how much more will their friends avoid them!

Though the poor plead with them,

    their friends are gone.

8 To acquire wisdom is to love yourself;

    people who cherish understanding will prosper.

9 A false witness will not go unpunished,

    and a liar will be destroyed.

10 It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury

    or for a slave to rule over princes!

11 Sensible people control their temper;

    they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

31 The Israelites called the food manna. It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey wafers.

32 Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: Fill a two-quart container with manna to preserve it for your descendants. Then later generations will be able to see the food I gave you in the wilderness when I set you free from Egypt.”

33 Moses said to Aaron, “Get a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Then put it in a sacred place before the Lord to preserve it for all future generations.” 34 Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. He eventually placed it in the Ark of the Covenant—in front of the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. 35 So the people of Israel ate manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle. They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

17 And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. 18 Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. 19 But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

1 Praise the Lord!

    Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

        His faithful love endures forever.

2 Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?

    Who can ever praise him enough?

3 There is joy for those who deal justly with others

    and always do what is right.

4 Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people;

    come near and rescue me.

5 Let me share in the prosperity of your chosen ones.

    Let me rejoice in the joy of your people;

    let me praise you with those who are your heritage.

6 Like our ancestors, we have sinned.

    We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!

7 Our ancestors in Egypt

    were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds.

They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them.

    Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.

8 Even so, he saved them—

    to defend the honor of his name

    and to demonstrate his mighty power.

9 He commanded the Red Sea[b] to dry up.

    He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert.

10 So he rescued them from their enemies

    and redeemed them from their foes.

11 Then the water returned and covered their enemies;

    not one of them survived.

12 Then his people believed his promises.

    Then they sang his praise.

21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

29 Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. 30 A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. 31 The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.

32 Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”

33 The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”

34 Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”

They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”

35 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.

37 They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. 38 There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children. 39 Then Jesus sent the people home, and he got into a boat and crossed over to the region of Magadan.

19 Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty.

    If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again.

20 Get all the advice and instruction you can,

    so you will be wise the rest of your life.

21 You can make many plans,

    but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

22 Loyalty makes a person attractive.

    It is better to be poor than dishonest.

23 Fear of the Lord leads to life,

    bringing security and protection from harm.

24 Lazy people take food in their hand

    but don’t even lift it to their mouth.

25 If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson;

    if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser.

26 Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother

    are an embarrassment and a public disgrace.

27 If you stop listening to instruction, my child,

    you will turn your back on knowledge.

28 A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice;

    the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.

29 Punishment is made for mockers,

    and the backs of fools are made to be beaten.

1 Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people, the Israelites. He heard especially about how the Lord had rescued them from Egypt.

2 Earlier, Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons back to Jethro, who had taken them in. 3 (Moses’ first son was named Gershom, for Moses had said when the boy was born, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” 4 His second son was named Eliezer, for Moses had said, “The God of my ancestors was my helper; he rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”) 5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, now came to visit Moses in the wilderness. He brought Moses’ wife and two sons with him, and they arrived while Moses and the people were camped near the mountain of God. 6 Jethro had sent a message to Moses, saying, “I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to see you with your wife and your two sons.”

7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed low and kissed him. They asked about each other’s welfare and then went into Moses’ tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and Egypt on behalf of Israel. He also told about all the hardships they had experienced along the way and how the Lord had rescued his people from all their troubles. 9 Jethro was delighted when he heard about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel as he rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.

10 “Praise the Lord,” Jethro said, “for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt! 11 I know now that the Lord is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.”

12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came out and joined him in a sacrificial meal in God’s presence.

15 It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.

20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.

1 As the deer longs for streams of water,

    so I long for you, O God.

2 I thirst for God, the living God.

    When can I go and stand before him?

3 Day and night I have only tears for food,

    while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,

    “Where is this God of yours?”

4 My heart is breaking

    as I remember how it used to be:

I walked among the crowds of worshipers,

    leading a great procession to the house of God,

singing for joy and giving thanks

    amid the sound of a great celebration!

5 Why am I discouraged?

    Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

    I will praise him again—

    my Savior and

6 my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,

    but I will remember you—

even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,

    from the land of Mount Mizar.

7 I hear the tumult of the raging seas

    as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

8 But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,

    and through each night I sing his songs,

    praying to God who gives me life.

9 “O God my rock,” I cry,

    “Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I wander around in grief,

    oppressed by my enemies?”

10 Their taunts break my bones.

    They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

11 Why am I discouraged?

    Why is my heart so sad?

   I will put my hope in God!

    I will praise him again—

    my Savior and my God!

16 One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

2 He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; 3 red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times! 4 Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Then Jesus left them and went away.

5 Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

7 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 8 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? 9 Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? 10 Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? 11 Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”

12 Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.