Daily Readings for January 8

Daily Readings for January 8
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Genesis 15

1.After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Don't be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."

2.Abram said, "Lord⁵ Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3.Abram said, "Behold, to me you have given no seed: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir."

4.Behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir, but he who will come out of your own body will be your heir." 5.Yahweh brought him outside, and said, "Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." He said to Abram, "So shall your seed be." 6.He believed in Yahweh; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness. 7.He said to him, "I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it."

8.He said, "Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?"

9.He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10.He brought him all of these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he didn't divide the birds. 11.The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

12.When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him. 13.He said to Abram, "Know for sure that your seed will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years. 14.I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth, 15.but you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried in a good old age. 16.In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full." 17.It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18.In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: 19.the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20.the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21.the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."

Genesis 16

1.Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2.Sarai said to Abram, "See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her." Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3.Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. 4.He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5.Sarai said to Abram, "This wrong is your fault. I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you."

6.But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes." Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.

7.The angel of Yahweh found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8.He said, "Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, where did you come from? Where are you going?"

She said, "I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai."

9.The angel of Yahweh said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands." 10.The angel of Yahweh said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude." 11.The angel of Yahweh said to her, "Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction. 12.He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers."

13.She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees," for she said, "Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?" 14.Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi.⁶ Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15.Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16.Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Psalm 18

1.I love you, Yahweh, my strength. 2.Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. 3.I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies. 4.The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 5.The cords of Sheol¹⁰ were around me. The snares of death came on me. 6.In my distress I called on Yahweh, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears. 7.Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry. 8.Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it. 9.He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet. 10.He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind. 11.He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 12.At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire. 13.Yahweh also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire. 14.He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, great lightning bolts, and routed them. 15.Then the channels of waters appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. 16.He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters. 17.He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me. 18.They came on me in the day of my calamity, but Yahweh was my support. 19.He brought me forth also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me. 20.Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me. 21.For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22.For all his ordinances were before me. I didn't put away his statutes from me. 23.I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity. 24.Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. 25.With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect. 26.With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd. 27.For you will save the afflicted people, but the haughty eyes you will bring down. 28.For you will light my lamp, Yahweh. My God will light up my darkness. 29.For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall. 30.As for God, his way is perfect. The word of Yahweh is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. 31.For who is God, except Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God, 32.the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect? 33.He makes my feet like deer's feet, and sets me on my high places. 34.He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze. 35.You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great. 36.You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped. 37.I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. Neither will I turn again until they are consumed. 38.I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet. 39.For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. 40.You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. 41.They cried, but there was none to save; even to Yahweh, but he didn't answer them. 42.Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets. 43.You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me. 44.As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me. 45.The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their close places. 46.Yahweh lives; and blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation, 47.even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me. 48.He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man. 49.Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name. 50.He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed, forevermore.

Matthew 10

1.He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. 2.Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; 3.Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, whose surname was⁴⁹ Thaddaeus; 4.Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

5.Jesus sent these twelve out, and commanded them, saying, "Don't go among the Gentiles, and don't enter into any city of the Samaritans. 6.Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7.As you go, preach, saying, 'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!' 8.Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers[50], and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. 9.Don't take any gold, nor silver, nor brass in your money belts. 10.Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. 11.Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy; and stay there until you go on. 12.As you enter into the household, greet it. 13.If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn't worthy, let your peace return to you. 14.Whoever doesn't receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15.Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

16."Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17.But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. 18.Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. 19.But when they deliver you up, don't be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. 20.For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

21."Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22.You will be hated by all men for my name's sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. 23.But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come.

24."A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. 25.It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household! 26.Therefore don't be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed; and hidden that will not be known. 27.What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. 28.Don't be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.⁵¹

29."Aren't two sparrows sold for an assarion coin⁵²? Not one of them falls on the ground apart from your Father's will, 30.but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31.Therefore don't be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. 32.Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. 33.But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.

34."Don't think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn't come to send peace, but a sword. 35.For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36.A man's foes will be those of his own household.[53] 37.He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn't worthy of me. 38.He who doesn't take his cross and follow after me, isn't worthy of me. 39.He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. 40.He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. 41.He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward. He who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. 42.Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward."