There the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a flame coming from the middle of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire but that it was not burning up.

When the LORD saw that Moses was coming closer, he called to him from the middle of the bush and said, "Moses! Moses!" He answered, "Yes, here I am."

I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." So Moses covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

and so I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them out of Egypt to a spacious land, one which is rich and fertile and in which the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites now live.

Now I am sending you to the king of Egypt so that you can lead my people out of his country."

God answered, "I will be with you, and when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will worship me on this mountain. That will be the proof that I have sent you."

God said, "I am who I am. You must tell them: 'The one who is called I AM has sent me to you.'

Go and gather the leaders of Israel together and tell them that I, the LORD, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to you. Tell them that I have come to them and have seen what the Egyptians are doing to them.

"My people will listen to what you say to them. Then you must go with the leaders of Israel to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has revealed himself to us. Now allow us to travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD, our God.'

But I will use my power and will punish Egypt by doing terrifying things there. After that he will let you go.

Every Israelite woman will go to her Egyptian neighbors and to any Egyptian woman living in her house and will ask for clothing and for gold and silver jewelry. The Israelites will put these things on their sons and daughters and carry away the wealth of the Egyptians."

So the LORD asked him, "What are you holding?" "A walking stick," he answered.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Reach down and pick it up by the tail." So Moses reached down and caught it, and it became a walking stick again.

The LORD spoke to Moses again, "Put your hand inside your robe." Moses obeyed; and when he took his hand out, it was diseased, covered with white spots, like snow.

The LORD said, "If they will not believe you or be convinced by the first miracle, then this one will convince them.

But Moses said, "No, LORD, don't send me. I have never been a good speaker, and I haven't become one since you began to speak to me. I am a poor speaker, slow and hesitant."

Now, go! I will help you to speak, and I will tell you what to say."

At this the LORD became angry with Moses and said, "What about your brother Aaron, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. In fact, he is now coming to meet you and will be glad to see you.

He will be your spokesman and speak to the people for you. Then you will be like God, telling him what to say.

Then Moses went back to Jethro, his father-in-law, and said to him, "Please let me go back to my relatives in Egypt to see if they are still alive." Jethro agreed and told him good-bye.

So Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and set out with them for Egypt, carrying the walking stick that God had told him to take.

Then you must tell him that I, the LORD, say, 'Israel is my first-born son.

At a camping place on the way to Egypt, the LORD met Moses and tried to kill him.

(SEE 4:25)

Then Moses told Aaron everything that the LORD had said when he told him to return to Egypt; he also told him about the miracles which the LORD had ordered him to perform.

Aaron told them everything that the LORD had said to Moses, and then Moses performed all the miracles in front of the people.

"Who is the LORD?" the king demanded. "Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD; and I will not let Israel go."

The king said to Moses and Aaron, "What do you mean by making the people neglect their work? Get those slaves back to work!

That same day the king commanded the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen:

But still require them to make the same number of bricks as before, not one brick less. They don't have enough work to do, and that is why they keep asking me to let them go and offer sacrifices to their God!

The slave drivers and the Israelite foremen went out and said to the Israelites, "The king has said that he will not supply you with any more straw.

So the people went all over Egypt looking for straw.

The Egyptian slave drivers beat the Israelite foremen, whom they had put in charge of the work. They demanded, "Why aren't you people making the same number of bricks that you made before?"

We are given no straw, but we are still ordered to make bricks! And now we are being beaten. It is your people that are at fault."

Now get back to work! You will not be given any straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks."

As they were leaving, they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them.

Then Moses turned to the LORD again and said, "Lord, why do you mistreat your people? Why did you send me here?

The chief priests and the teachers of the Law were afraid of the people, and so they were trying to find a way of putting Jesus to death secretly.

So Judas went off and spoke with the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard about how he could betray Jesus to them.

Judas agreed to it and started looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them without the people knowing about it.

Jesus sent Peter and John with these instructions: "Go and get the Passover meal ready for us to eat."

He answered, "As you go into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters,

He will show you a large furnished room upstairs, where you will get everything ready."

When the hour came, Jesus took his place at the table with the apostles.

For I tell you, I will never eat it until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God."

I tell you that from now on I will not drink this wine until the Kingdom of God comes."

In the same way, he gave them the cup after the supper, saying, "This cup is God's new covenant sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you.

The Son of Man will die as God has decided, but how terrible for that man who betrays him!"

An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be thought of as the greatest.

But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant.

"You have stayed with me all through my trials;

You will eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to rule over the twelve tribes of Israel.

But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you turn back to me, you must strengthen your brothers."

"I tell you, Peter," Jesus said, "the rooster will not crow tonight until you have said three times that you do not know me."

"But now," Jesus said, "whoever has a purse or a bag must take it; and whoever does not have a sword must sell his coat and buy one.

The disciples said, "Look! Here are two swords, Lord!" "That is enough!" he replied.

When he arrived at the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation."

"Father," he said, "if you will, take this cup of suffering away from me. Not my will, however, but your will be done."

In great anguish he prayed even more fervently; his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation."

But Jesus said, "Judas, is it with a kiss that you betray the Son of Man?"

And one of them struck the High Priest's slave and cut off his right ear.

Then Jesus said to the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard and the elders who had come there to get him, "Did you have to come with swords and clubs, as though I were an outlaw?

They arrested Jesus and took him away into the house of the High Priest; and Peter followed at a distance.

When one of the servant women saw him sitting there at the fire, she looked straight at him and said, "This man too was with Jesus!"

After a little while a man noticed Peter and said, "You are one of them, too!" But Peter answered, "Man, I am not!"

But Peter answered, "Man, I don't know what you are talking about!" At once, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

Peter went out and wept bitterly.

They blindfolded him and asked him, "Who hit you? Guess!"

When day came, the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law met together, and Jesus was brought before the Council.

and if I ask you a question, you will not answer.

They all said, "Are you, then, the Son of God?" He answered them, "You say that I am."