Daily Readings for January 14
Click the arrow above to the left of the audio strip to start audio for today

 

Genesis 25

 

1.Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah. 2.She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3.Jokshan became the father of Sheba, and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4.The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5.Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac, 6.but to the sons of Abraham's concubines, Abraham gave gifts. He sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country. 7.These are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years. 8.Abraham gave up the spirit, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9.Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre, 10.the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth. Abraham was buried there with Sarah, his wife. 11.It happened after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived by Beer Lahai Roi.

12.Now this is the history of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore to Abraham. 13.These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to the order of their birth: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14.Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15.Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16.These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments: twelve princes, according to their nations. 17.These are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred thirty-seven years. He gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people. 18.They lived from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He lived opposite all his relatives.

19.This is the history of the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham became the father of Isaac. 20.Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife. 21.Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren. Yahweh was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22.The children struggled together within her. She said, "If it be so, why do I live?" She went to inquire of Yahweh. 23.Yahweh said to her, "Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger."

24.When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25.The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. 26.After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27.The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. 28.Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob. 29.Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30.Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am famished." Therefore his name was called Edom.

31.Jacob said, "First, sell me your birthright."

32.Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?"

33.Jacob said, "Swear to me first."

He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob. 34.Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.

 

Genesis 26

 

1.There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar. 2.Yahweh appeared to him, and said, "Don't go down into Egypt. Live in the land I will tell you about. 3.Live in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For to you, and to your seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4.I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and will give to your seed all these lands. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, 5.because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my requirements, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."

6.Isaac lived in Gerar. 7.The men of the place asked him about his wife. He said, "She is my sister," for he was afraid to say, "My wife," lest, he thought, "the men of the place might kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to look at." 8.It happened, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah, his wife. 9.Abimelech called Isaac, and said, "Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, 'She is my sister?'"

Isaac said to him, "Because I said, 'Lest I die because of her.'"

10.Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!"

11.Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, "He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death."

12.Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year one hundred times what he planted. Yahweh blessed him. 13.The man grew great, and grew more and more until he became very great. 14.He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines envied him. 15.Now all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped, and filled with earth. 16.Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go from us, for you are much mightier than we."

17.Isaac departed from there, encamped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there.

18.Isaac dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father. For the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham. He called their names after the names by which his father had called them. 19.Isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 20.The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." He called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. 21.They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. He called its name Sitnah. 22.He left that place, and dug another well. They didn't argue over that one. He called it Rehoboth. He said, "For now Yahweh has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land."

23.He went up from there to Beersheba. 24.Yahweh appeared to him the same night, and said, "I am the God of Abraham your father. Don't be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for my servant Abraham's sake."

25.He built an altar there, and called on the name of Yahweh, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac's servants dug a well.

26.Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his army. 27.Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, since you hate me, and have sent me away from you?"

28.They said, "We saw plainly that Yahweh was with you. We said, 'Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you, 29.that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace.' You are now the blessed of Yahweh."

30.He made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31.They rose up some time in the morning, and swore one to another. Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. 32.It happened the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, "We have found water." 33.He called it Shibah.¹³ Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba¹⁴ to this day.

34.When Esau was forty years old, he took as wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35.They grieved Isaac's and Rebekah's spirits.

 

Psalm 31

 

1.In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. Let me never be disappointed. Deliver me in your righteousness. 2.Bow down your ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be to me a strong rock, a house of defense to save me. 3.For you are my rock and my fortress, therefore for your name's sake lead me and guide me. 4.Pluck me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, for you are my stronghold. 5.Into your hand I commend my spirit. You redeem me, Yahweh, God of truth. 6.I hate those who regard lying vanities, but I trust in Yahweh. 7.I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness, for you have seen my affliction. You have known my soul in adversities. 8.You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a large place. 9.Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am in distress. My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief. 10.For my life is spent with sorrow, my years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity. My bones are wasted away. 11.Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors, A fear to my acquaintances. Those who saw me on the street fled from me. 12.I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man. I am like broken pottery. 13.For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life. 14.But I trust in you, Yahweh. I said, "You are my God." 15.My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. 16.Make your face to shine on your servant. Save me in your loving kindness. 17.Let me not be disappointed, Yahweh, for I have called on you. Let the wicked be disappointed. Let them be silent in Sheol¹³. 18.Let the lying lips be mute, which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt. 19.Oh how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, before the sons of men! 20.In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues. 21.Praise be to Yahweh, for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city. 22.As for me, I said in my haste, "I am cut off from before your eyes." Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you. 23.Oh love Yahweh, all you his saints! Yahweh preserves the faithful, and fully recompenses him who behaves arrogantly. 24.Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh.

 

Matthew 16

 

1.The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2.But he answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' 3.In the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can't discern the signs of the times! 4.An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah."

He left them, and departed. 5.The disciples came to the other side and had forgotten to take bread. 6.Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

7.They reasoned among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread."

8.Jesus, perceiving it, said, "Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, 'because you have brought no bread?' 9.Don't you yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? 10.Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up? 11.How is it that you don't perceive that I didn't speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

12.Then they understood that he didn't tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 13.Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"

14.They said, "Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."

15.He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

16.Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

17.Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18.I also tell you that you are Peter,⁷⁶ and on this rock⁷⁷ I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades⁷⁸ will not prevail against it. 19.I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven." 20.Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ. 21.From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.

22.Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you."

23.But he turned, and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men." 24.Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25.For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. 26.For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? 27.For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds. 28.Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."

 

   (Daily Readings for January 14)  Look up a passage