Reading 1, Exodus 14:5-18
Responsorial Psalm, Exodus 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Gospel, Matthew 12:38-42
Reading 1, Exodus 14:5-18
5 When Pharaoh king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, he and his officials changed their attitude towards the people. ‘What have we done,’ they said, ‘allowing Israel to leave our service?’
6 So Pharaoh had his chariot harnessed and set out with his troops,
7 taking six hundred of the best chariots and all the other chariots in Egypt, with officers in each.
8 Yahweh made Pharaoh king of Egypt stubborn, and he gave chase to the Israelites. The Israelites marched confidently away,
9 but the Egyptians, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, his horsemen and his army, gave chase and caught up with them where they lay encamped beside the sea near Pi-Hahiroth, facing Baal-Zephon.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up — and there were the Egyptians in pursuit of them! The Israelites were terrified and cried out to Yahweh for help.
11 To Moses they said, ‘Was it for lack of graves in Egypt, that you had to lead us out to die in the desert? What was the point of bringing us out of Egypt?
12 Did we not tell you as much in Egypt? Leave us alone, we said, we would rather work for the Egyptians! We prefer to work for the Egyptians than to die in the desert!’
13 Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid! Stand firm, and you will see what Yahweh will do to rescue you today: the Egyptians you see today you will never see again.
14 Yahweh will do the fighting for you; all you need to do is to keep calm.’
15 Yahweh then said to Moses, ‘Why cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to march on.
16 Your part is to raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can walk through the sea on dry ground,
17 while I, for my part, shall make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will follow them, and I shall win glory for myself at the expense of Pharaoh and all his army, chariots and horsemen.
18 And when I have won glory for myself at the expense of Pharaoh and his chariots and horsemen, the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.’
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Responsorial Psalm, Exodus 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
1 It was then that Moses and the Israelites sang this song in Yahweh’s honour: I shall sing to Yahweh, for he has covered himself in glory, horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.
2 Yah is my strength and my song, to him I owe my deliverance. He is my God and I shall praise him, my father’s God and I shall extol him.
3 Yahweh is a warrior; Yahweh is his name.
4 Pharaoh’s chariots and army he has hurled into the sea the pick of his officers have been drowned in the Sea of Reeds.
5 The ocean has closed over them; they have sunk to the bottom like a stone.
6 Your right hand, Yahweh, wins glory by its strength, your right hand, Yahweh, shatters your foes,
Gospel, Matthew 12:38-42
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees spoke up. ‘Master,’ they said, ‘we should like to see a sign from you.’
39 He replied, ‘It is an evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign it will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40 For as Jonah remained in the belly of the sea-monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
41 On Judgement Day the men of Nineveh will appear against this generation and they will be its condemnation, because when Jonah preached they repented; and look, there is something greater than Jonah here.
42 On Judgement Day the Queen of the South will appear against this generation and be its condemnation, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look, there is something greater than Solomon here.
