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Daily Readings for January 20
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Genesis 34
1.Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2.Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her. 3.His soul joined to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady. 4.Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, "Get me this young lady as a wife."
5.Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah, his daughter; and his sons were with his livestock in the field. Jacob held his peace until they came. 6.Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to talk with him. 7.The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; a which thing ought not to be done. 8.Hamor talked with them, saying, "The soul of my son, Shechem, longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. 9.Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10.You shall dwell with us, and the land will be before you. Live and trade in it, and get possessions in it."
11.Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you will tell me I will give. 12.Ask me a great amount for a dowry, and I will give whatever you ask of me, but give me the young lady as a wife."
13.The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit, and spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister, 14.and said to them, "We can't do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised; for that is a reproach to us. 15.Only on this condition will we consent to you. If you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised; 16.then will we give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 17.But if you will not listen to us, to be circumcised, then we will take our sister,22 and we will be gone."
18.Their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son. 19.The young man didn't wait to do this thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter, and he was honored above all the house of his father. 20.Hamor and Shechem, his son, came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying, 21."These men are peaceful with us. Therefore let them live in the land and trade in it. For behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22.Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people, if every male among us is circumcised, as they are circumcised. 23.Won't their livestock and their possessions and all their animals be ours? Only let us give our consent to them, and they will dwell with us."
24.All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor, and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. 25.It happened on the third day, when they were sore, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males. 26.They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went away. 27.Jacob's sons came on the dead, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28.They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, that which was in the city, that which was in the field, 29.and all their wealth. They took captive all their little ones and their wives, and took as plunder everything that was in the house. 30.Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my house."
31.They said, "Should he deal with our sister as with a prostitute?"
Genesis 35
1.God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother."
2.Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, change your garments. 3.Let us arise, and go up to Bethel. I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went."
4.They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. 5.They traveled, and a terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they didn't pursue the sons of Jacob. 6.So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. 7.He built an altar there, and called the place El Beth El; because there God was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother. 8.Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and its name was called Allon Bacuth.
9.God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him. 10.God said to him, "Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel." He named him Israel. 11.God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body. 12.The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your seed after you will I give the land."
13.God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him. 14.Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it. 15.Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him "Bethel."
16.They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor. 17.When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid, for now you will have another son."
18.It happened, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Benoni,23 but his father named him Benjamin.24 19.Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem). 20.Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the Pillar of Rachel's grave to this day. 21.Israel traveled, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder. 22.It happened, while Israel lived in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and Israel heard of it.
Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23.The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24.The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25.The sons of Bilhah (Rachel's handmaid): Dan and Naphtali. 26.The sons of Zilpah (Leah's handmaid): Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram. 27.Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, to Kiriath Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac lived as foreigners.
28.The days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years. 29.Isaac gave up the spirit, and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.
Psalm 37
1.Don't fret because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness. 2.For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither like the green herb. 3.Trust in Yahweh, and do good. Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture. 4.Also delight yourself in Yahweh, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5.Commit your way to Yahweh. Trust also in him, and he will do this: 6.he will make your righteousness go forth as the light, and your justice as the noon day sun. 7.Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him. Don't fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen. 8.Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Don't fret, it leads only to evildoing. 9.For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for Yahweh shall inherit the land. 10.For yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more. Yes, though you look for his place, he isn't there. 11.But the humble shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12.The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. 13.The Lord will laugh at him, for he sees that his day is coming. 14.The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to kill those who are upright in the way. 15.Their sword shall enter into their own heart. Their bows shall be broken. 16.Better is a little that the righteous has, than the abundance of many wicked. 17.For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Yahweh upholds the righteous. 18.Yahweh knows the days of the perfect. Their inheritance shall be forever. 19.They shall not be disappointed in the time of evil. In the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20.But the wicked shall perish. The enemies of Yahweh shall be like the beauty of the fields. They will vanish-- vanish like smoke. 21.The wicked borrow, and don't pay back, but the righteous give generously. 22.For such as are blessed by him shall inherit the land. Those who are cursed by him shall be cut off. 23.A man's goings are established by Yahweh. He delights in his way. 24.Though he stumble, he shall not fall, for Yahweh holds him up with his hand. 25.I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread. 26.All day long he deals graciously, and lends. His seed is blessed. 27.Depart from evil, and do good. Live securely forever. 28.For Yahweh loves justice, and doesn't forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. 29.The righteous shall inherit the land, and live in it forever.
30.The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom. His tongue speaks justice. 31.The law of his God is in his heart. None of his steps shall slide. 32.The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to kill him. 33.Yahweh will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. 34.Wait for Yahweh, and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
35.I have seen the wicked in great power, spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil. 36.But he passed away, and behold, he was not. Yes, I sought him, but he could not be found. 37.Mark the perfect man, and see the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. 38.As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together. The future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39.But the salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh. He is their stronghold in the time of trouble. 40.Yahweh helps them, and rescues them. He rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, Because they have taken refuge in him.
Matthew 22
1.Jesus answered and spoke again in parables to them, saying, 2."The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, 3.and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast, but they would not come. 4.Again he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage feast!"' 5.But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise, 6.and the rest grabbed his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7.When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
8."Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren't worthy. 9.Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the marriage feast.' 10.Those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests. 11.But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn't have on wedding clothing, 12.and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?' He was speechless. 13.Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness; there is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.' 14.For many are called, but few chosen."
15.Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk. 16.They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter whom you teach, for you aren't partial to anyone. 17.Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
18.But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test me, you hypocrites? 19.Show me the tax money."
They brought to him a denarius.
20.He asked them, "Whose is this image and inscription?"
21.They said to him, "Caesar's."
Then he said to them, "Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
22.When they heard it, they marveled, and left him, and went away.
23.On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him, 24.saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed for his brother.' 25.Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died, and having no seed left his wife to his brother. 26.In the same way, the second also, and the third, to the seventh. 27.After them all, the woman died. 28.In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had her."
29.But Jesus answered them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. 30.For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like God's angels in heaven. 31.But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven't you read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, 32.'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?'[103] God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
33.When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. 34.But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together. 35.One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. 36."Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?"
37.Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'[104] 38.This is the first and great commandment. 39.A second likewise is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'[105] 40.The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
41.Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42.saying, "What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?"
They said to him, "Of David."
43.He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying, 44.'The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?'[106]
45."If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?"
46.No one was able to answer him a word, neither did any man dare ask him any more questions from that day forth.