Daily Readings for January 13
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Genesis 24

 

1.Abraham was old, and well stricken in age. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things. 2.Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please put your hand under my thigh. 3.I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. 4.But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."

5.The servant said to him, "What if the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land? Must I bring your son again to the land you came from?"

6.Abraham said to him, "Beware that you don't bring my son there again. 7.Yahweh, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, 'I will give this land to your seed¹².' He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8.If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath. Only you shall not bring my son there again."

9.The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. 10.The servant took ten camels, of his master's camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master's with him. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. 11.He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water. 12.He said, "Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13.Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14.Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,' and she will say, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,'--let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."

15.It happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16.The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, neither had any man known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17.The servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher."

18.She said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him drink. 19.When she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have done drinking." 20.She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

21.The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether Yahweh had made his journey prosperous or not. 22.It happened, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold, 23.and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?"

24.She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." 25.She said moreover to him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."

26.The man bowed his head, and worshiped Yahweh. 27.He said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me in the way to the house of my master's relatives."

28.The young lady ran, and told her mother's house about these words. 29.Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring. 30.It happened, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," that he came to the man. Behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31.He said, "Come in, you blessed of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."

32.The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33.Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my message."

He said, "Speak on."

34.He said, "I am Abraham's servant. 35.Yahweh has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36.Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him. 37.My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, 38.but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.' 39.I asked my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?' 40.He said to me, 'Yahweh, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father's house. 41.Then will you be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they don't give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.' 42.I came this day to the spring, and said, 'Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go-- 43.behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes out to draw, to whom I will say, "Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink," 44.and she will tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,"--let her be the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for my master's son.' 45.Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.' 46.She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.' So I drank, and she also gave the camels a drink. 47.I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. 48.I bowed my head, and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son. 49.Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."

50.Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from Yahweh. We can't speak to you bad or good. 51.Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Yahweh has spoken."

52.It happened that when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to Yahweh. 53.The servant brought out jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother. 54.They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master."

55.Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go."

56.He said to them, "Don't hinder me, since Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master."

57.They said, "We will call the young lady, and ask her." 58.They called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?"

She said, "I will go."

59.They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men. 60.They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them."

61.Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 62.Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the South. 63.Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming. 64.Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel. 65.She said to the servant, "Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?"

The servant said, "It is my master."

She took her veil, and covered herself. 66.The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67.Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

 

Psalm 29

 

1.Ascribe to Yahweh, you sons of the mighty, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength. 2.Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Worship Yahweh in holy array.

3.Yahweh's voice is on the waters. The God of glory thunders, even Yahweh on many waters. 4.Yahweh's voice is powerful. Yahweh's voice is full of majesty. 5.The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars. Yes, Yahweh breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6.He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young, wild ox. 7.Yahweh's voice strikes with flashes of lightning. 8.Yahweh's voice shakes the wilderness. Yahweh shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9.Yahweh's voice makes the deer calve, and strips the forests bare. In his temple everything says, "Glory!"

10.Yahweh sat enthroned at the Flood. Yes, Yahweh sits as King forever. 11.Yahweh will give strength to his people. Yahweh will bless his people with peace.

 

Psalm 30

 

1.I will extol you, Yahweh, for you have raised me up, and have not made my foes to rejoice over me. 2.Yahweh my God, I cried to you, and you have healed me. 3.Yahweh, you have brought up my soul from Sheol¹². You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. 4.Sing praise to Yahweh, you saints of his. Give thanks to his holy name. 5.For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning. 6.As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." 7.You, Yahweh, when you favored me, made my mountain stand strong; but when you hid your face, I was troubled. 8.I cried to you, Yahweh. To Yahweh I made supplication: 9."What profit is there in my destruction, if I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise you? Shall it declare your truth? 10.Hear, Yahweh, and have mercy on me. Yahweh, be my helper." 11.You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness, 12.To the end that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent. Yahweh my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

 

Matthew 15

 

1.Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying, 2."Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don't wash their hands when they eat bread."

3.He answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4.For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,'[73] and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.'[74] 5.But you say, 'Whoever may tell his father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God," 6.he shall not honor his father or mother.' You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition. 7.You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8.'These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9.And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.'"[75]

10.He summoned the multitude, and said to them, "Hear, and understand. 11.That which enters into the mouth doesn't defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

12.Then the disciples came, and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?"

13.But he answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father didn't plant will be uprooted. 14.Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit."

15.Peter answered him, "Explain the parable to us."

16.So Jesus said, "Do you also still not understand? 17.Don't you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body? 18.But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man. 19.For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies. 20.These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn't defile the man."

21.Jesus went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22.Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely demonized!"

23.But he answered her not a word.

His disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away; for she cries after us."

24.But he answered, "I wasn't sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

25.But she came and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, help me."

26.But he answered, "It is not appropriate to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

27.But she said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

28.Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

29.Jesus departed there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there. 30.Great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them, 31.so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, injured whole, lame walking, and blind seeing--and they glorified the God of Israel.

32.Jesus summoned his disciples and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way."

33.The disciples said to him, "Where should we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?"

34.Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?"

They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

35.He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground; 36.and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. 37.They all ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over. 38.Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39.Then he sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magdala.

 

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