7He said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^g 8Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance; and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.^h 9Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”ⁱ

10And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two tunics should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” 12Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”^j 13He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” 14Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

Birth and Adoption of Moses. 1Now a man^* of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,^a 2and the woman conceived and bore a son. Seeing what a fine child he was, she hid him for three months.^b 3But when she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket,^* daubed it with bitumen and pitch, and putting the child in it, placed it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile. 4His sister stationed herself at a distance to find out what would happen to him.

5Then Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at the Nile, while her attendants walked along the bank of the Nile. Noticing the basket among the reeds, she sent her handmaid to fetch it. 6On opening it, she looked, and there was a baby boy crying! She was moved with pity for him and said, “It is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and summon a Hebrew woman to nurse the child for you?” 8Pharaoh’s daughter answered her, “Go.” So the young woman went and called the child’s own mother. 9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.”^* So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10When the child grew,^* she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son.^c She named him Moses; for she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

1On that day, you will say:

I give you thanks, O LORD;

though you have been angry with me,

your anger has abated, and you have consoled me.

2God indeed is my salvation;

I am confident and unafraid.

For the LORD is my strength and my might,

and he has been my salvation.^a

3With joy you will draw water

from the fountains of salvation,^b

4And you will say on that day:

give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;

Among the nations make known his deeds,

proclaim how exalted is his name.^c

5Sing praise to the LORD for he has done glorious things;

let this be known throughout all the earth.^d

6Shout with exultation, City of Zion,

for great in your midst

is the Holy One of Israel!^e

23^t By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24^* By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;^u 25he chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin. 26He considered the reproach of the Anointed greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the recompense. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s fury, for he persevered as if seeing the one who is invisible.^v 28By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.^w 29By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted it they were drowned.^x 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell after being encircled for seven days.^y 31By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with the disobedient, for she had received the spies in peace.^z