Formation Journal Reading Plan

5:1 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.’”

5:2 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.”

5:3 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.”

5:4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!”

5:5 Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens.”

5:6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

5:7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

5:8 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.’

5:9 Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and don’t let them pay any attention to lying words.”

5:10 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.

5:11 Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished.’”

5:12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

5:13 The taskmasters were urgent saying, “Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!”

5:14 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?”

5:15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants?

5:16 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.”

5:17 But he said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’

5:18 Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!”

5:19 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!”

5:20 They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came out from Pharaoh:

5:21 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.”

5:22 Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?

5:23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; neither have you delivered your people at all.”

44:17 All this has come on us, yet have we not forgotten you, Neither have we been false to your covenant.

44:18 Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps strayed from your path,

44:19 Though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.

44:20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or spread forth our hands to a strange god;

44:21 won’t God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart.

44:22 Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.

44:23 Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever.

44:24 Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?

44:25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body clings to the earth.

44:26 Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness’ sake.

20:1 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

20:2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

20:3 He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.

20:4 To them he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way.

20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.

20:6 About the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’

20:7 “They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ “He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’

20:8 When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’

20:9 “When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.

20:10 When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius.

20:11 When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,

20:12 saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’

20:13 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius?

20:14 Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.

20:15 Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’

20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”